Land Capability Classification, Fertility Mapping And Pedodiversity Of Soils Over Coastal Plain Sands Of Abia State, Nigeria

                                                                                    ABSTRACT

Land capability classification is a broad grouping of soils based on their limitations as a guide to assess land suitability for arable crops, grazing and forestry (Dent and Young, 1981). There is need for the provision of more infrastructural facilities like good roads, stadia, markets, hospitals, schools, housing estates, airports and so on with creation of new states and local government areas. However, demographic pressures as a result of increasing urbanization and ecological problems especially gully erosions have contributed immensely to the diminishing of agricultural lands. As a result of the diminishing of agricultural lands, there is a pressing need to match land types and land uses in the most rational ways so as to maximize sustainable production and satisfy the diverse needs of society while also conserving the fragile ecosystems.