Sediment

variables

Ecological sites

Mean

(n =50)

F-Value

LSD_0.05

Site 1 (n = 20)

Site 2 (n = 20)

Site 3 (n = 10)

Sand

%

89.64^ab ± 1.05

85.18^b ± 0.77

90.87^a ± 28.74

88.56 ± 10.19

3.29

4.32^ns

Clay

8.56^a ± 0.97

12.77^a ± 0.71

7.23^a ± 2.29

9.52 ± 1.32

0.44

0.72^ns

Silt

1.80^ab ± 0.15

2.06^a ± 0.16

1.90^b ± 0.60

1.92 ± 0.30

3.79

3.90^*

EC (μmhos/cm)

522.85^b ± 66.86

494.31^b ± 58.33

1833.40^a ± 579.77

950.19 ± 234.99

5.03

1061.50^*

pH

8.23^a ± 0.09

8.14^ab ± 0.08

7.84^b ± 2.48

8.07 ± 0.88

7.68

0.30^**

WHC

%

48.43^b ± 2.08

57.17^a ± 3.52

46.59^b ± 14.73

50.73 ± 6.78

3.66

10.45^*

CaCO₃

4.76^a ± 0.66

4.55^a ± 0.57

4.76^a ± 1.51

4.69 ± 0.91

0.11

2.35

OC

0.99^a ± 0.13

0.92^a ± 0.19

1.29^a ± 0.41

1.06 ± 0.24

1.45

0.62^ns

Cl⁻

0.21^b ± 0.02

1.33^a ± 0.04

1.40^a ± 0.44

0.98

56.71

0.25^***

1.11^a ± 0.06

1.06^a ± 0.02

1.30^a ± 0.41

1.16 ± 0.16

1.53

0.31^ns

0.82^c ± 0.01

1.05^a ± 0.02

0.98^b ± 0.31

0.95 ± 0.16

35.98

0.06^***

TN

mg/100g dry soil

3.96^b ± 0.36

3.15^a ± 0.54

2.36^c ± 0.75

3.16 ± 0.55

26.19

0.16^***

TP

0.74^a ± 0.04

1.00^a ± 0.04

0.48^a ± 0.15

0.74 ± 0.08

1.14

1.78^ns

Na⁺

50.02^b ± 5.72

59.52^b ± 5.39

147.86^a ± 46.76

85.8 ± 19.29

14.65

43.80^***

K⁺

12.13^b ± 1.72

17.12^ab ± 3.87

41.54^a ± 13.14

23.59 ± 6.24

3.44

22.71^*

Ca⁺⁺

24.77^b ± 2.23

28.35^ab ± 5.47

63.89^a ± 20.21

39.00 ± 9.30

3.27

34.30^ns

Mg⁺⁺

16.56^a ± 2.60

29.38^a ± 8.23

35.78^a ± 11.31

27.24 ± 7.38

1.77

26.89^ns

SAR

13.54^b ± 1.14

11.94^b ± 1.67

22.32^a ± 7.06

15.93 ± 3.29

8.97

6.67^**

PAR

2.59^a ± 0.28

3.28^a ± 0.66

5.80^a ± 1.83

3.89 ± 0.92

1.78

3.20^ns