ABSTRACT

The soil is the thin layer of unsolicited material that covers the earth's surlace, made up of living organisms and supports the existence of man. Agriculture being practiced by man depends on the soil. Soil can be made up of nutrients which are essential to living organisms (both plants and animals) and these nutrients are recycled by the said organisms. Their activities can both enhance or deduct nutrients from the soil. Man can also indirectly affect the soil quality by application of fertilizer to the soil which might be toxic to the beneficial organisms. Ants are special type of insects that inhabit varieties of soil for example the black carpenter ant camponotus pensylvanicus. Ants influence the soil greatly, more especially its nutrients contents. The influence rate depends on the specie of ants, the number present in the soil, type of soil, their duration in the soil, site of soil location and the type of nutrient involved. The impact can be negatively or positively. The black carpenter ant camponotus pensy/vanicus within the period of 6 weeks increased certain nutrients soil and soil and oil spilled sandy soil. Its positive impact on sandy soil was an increase in the organic matter, organic carbon and phosphorus contents while it depleted the nitrogen and potassium contents. On the oil spilled sandy soil, there were fluctuations (i.e decrease and increase) in organic carbon, organic matter and potassium contents while phosphorus and Nitrogen contents were constantly decreasing. However, any affected soil can be returned or restored back to its normal position or shape. This phenomenon is called RECLAIMATION OR RESTORATION. It can be achieved through: Conservation of on-site ecological resources, habitant translocation, protection of water courses, cultural artifacts and off- site resources.