An Assessment of Land Use Resistivity to Surface Erosion from Infiltration Data in Abini Region of Cross River State of Nigeria

Abstract

Precipitation incidence upon a place above threshold level of soils has the ability of   initiating overland flow, surface runoff and erosion especially where there is a high intensity of land cover removal. Infiltration capacity of soils is a major determinant of soil behavioural response to water absorption during storm. This implies that deductions on soils susceptibility to surface erosion could be derived from infiltration records of regional land uses which this study attempted in Abini rural watershed of Cross River State, Nigeria. Thus, infiltration data were generated from experimental runs with the aid of infiltrometer designed by Hillel (1970). Equilibrium or steady state of water infiltrating into the soils of different land uses were established after 3 hours or 180 minutes, indicating the maximum limit soils could absorb water during storm. The threshold values of 3.6cm/hr^-1 (fallow land), 0.6cm/hr^-1 (wetland), 9.6cm/hr^-1 (forest) were discovered. This suggests that, of the three land uses studied, forest has the strongest resistance to surface erosion than others. With infiltration capacity of 0.6cm/hr^-1, wetland ecosystem is more prone to ecological risk than other land uses. The study recommends sustainable land management measures such as afforestation and mulching to boast the functioning of land resources within the region.

Keywords: Infiltration capacity, surface erosion, precipitation incidence, sustainable land management, land uses.