Abstract
Studies were carried out to examine factors which might influence the distribution of S in Ghanaian soils. Nine soil profiles developed over granitic rocks, three each representing the upper slope (US), middle slope (MS) and lower slope (LS) of catena in the evergreen high rain forest (ERF), semi-deciduous rain forest (SDF) and the interior savanna (ISAV) zone of Ghana were selected. The total S contents varied from 9 to 347 ppm; the average for all the surface and subsurface horizons was 141 ppm and for subsoils 105 ppm. The contents also varied according to: (1) the ecological zone as follows: ERF 0) SDF>ISAV and (2) the topographic position: US>MS>LS. The total S was closely correlated with organic C and total N in the surface and subsurface horizons (r=0.931*** and 0.941*** respectively). Inorganic sulfate was generally higher in the subsoils than in the surface and subsurface horizons of the ERF and SDF profiles whereas the opposite was the case in the ISAV profiles. Based on the critical value of 6 ppm in surface soils, all the savanna soils would be considered S deficient.
The total organic S, which constituted from 56 to over 95% of the total S in the profiles, was significantly correlated with total N both in the surface and subsurface horizons (N:S ratio=9.1:1) and in the subsoils (N:S ratio=7.6:1). Fractionation of the organic S showed that HI-reducible S ranged from 14 to 117 ppm in the surface and subsurface horizons (average 55 ppm, equivalent to 47% of the total organic S) and from 2 to 169 ppm (average 55 ppm, equivalent to 60% of the total organic S) in the subsoils. The C-bonded S ranged from 6 to 223 ppm (average 73 ppm, equivalent to 57% of the total organic S) in the surface and subsurface horizons and from 1 to 83 ppm (average 29 ppm, equivalent to 32% of the total organic S) in the subsoils. HI-reducible S was significantly correlated with organic C (r=0.805***) and total N (r=0.845***) in the surface and subsurface horizons only whereas C-bonded S was significantly correlated with organic C and total N in both the surface and subsurface horizons and subsoils (r=0.870*** and 0.624*** respectively).
The N:S ratios varied from 6.0 to 12.7 in the surface and subsurface horizons and from 0.5 to 27.3 in the subsoils. However the N:S ratio was less variable within the profile than the C:S ratio. The C:N:S ratios varied considerably within the profile and among the different soils but they fall within the range of values reported world-wide.
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Acquaye, D.K., Beringer, H. Sulfur in Ghanaian soils. Plant Soil 113, 197–203 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02280181
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02280181