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      Flood variation and soil nutrient content in floodplain vegetation communities in the Okavango Delta

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          Abstract

          We investigated the influence of hydroperiod variation on soil nutrient content in the Okavango Delta seasonal floodplains. Soil samples were collected from eight zones of homogenous vegetation cover after low and high floods and analysed for pH, Na, Mg, Ca, K and P content. A Student's t-test was used to test for differences in pH, Na, Mg, Ca, K and P between soils after low and high floods. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare means of flooding duration and depth between low and high floods. Na, K, Mg, P and pH levels in soils were significantly different (p<0.05) after low floods compared with after high floods. Na content was lower (p<0.05) in Zones 2 and 8 and higher (p<0.05) in Zones 4, 5 and 6 during high flood than during low flood. Ca content was lower (p<0.05) in Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and higher in Zone 7 (p<0.05) under high flood than during low flood. Mg content was lower (p<0.05) in Zones 1 and 5 and higher (p<0.05) in Zones 6, 7 and 8 during high flood than during low flood. K content was lower in Zones 1 and 3 and lower in Zones 6, 7 and 8 (p<0.05) during high flood than during low flood. pH was significantly lower and higher after a high flood in Zones 1 and 6, respectively, than during low flood. P content was significantly (p<0.05) higher in all zones after high flood than after low flood. Flooding depth and duration increased (p<0.05) in all vegetation zones during high flood. Our results have direct implications for molapo (flood recession) farming. We recommend that farmers plough immediately after the onset of flood recession when the soil is still moist and rich in nutrients.

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          Most cited references35

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          Responses of woody plants to flooding and salinity

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            Soil nutrient bioavalability: a mechanistic approach

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              Litter Decomposition Rates in the Seasonally Flooded Great Dismal Swamp

              Frank Day (1982)
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Role: ND
                Role: ND
                Role: ND
                Journal
                sajs
                South African Journal of Science
                S. Afr. j. sci.
                Academy of Science of South Africa (Pretoria )
                1996-7489
                February 2014
                : 110
                : 3-4
                : 01-05
                Affiliations
                [1 ] Okavango Research Institute Botswana
                Article
                S0038-23532014000200014
                10.1590/sajs.2014/20130168
                b75fe09c-ad46-4f0c-8d28-487cb10684b4

                http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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                Product

                SciELO South Africa

                Self URI (journal page): http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0038-2353&lng=en
                Categories
                Biology
                Humanities, Multidisciplinary

                General life sciences
                flood,communities,soil,vegetation,zones
                General life sciences
                flood, communities, soil, vegetation, zones

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