| dc.description.abstract | The increasing population has caused increasing pressure over land utilization that has lead to more conversion of forest land into agriculture land (dry farm and plantation). This land conversion degrades land quality as indicated by decreasing quality of soil physical properties, decreasing of water infiltration, and increasing of runoff. A research to study soil physical and hydrology characteristics on mixed farm, oil palm plantations, and dry farm was carried out in Cimulang village, Rancabungur District, Bogor Regency. The study was conducted on different slope, i.e. 0-5%, 5-8% and 8-15% in the same soil type. Parameters observed in this study were infiltration capacity, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, porosity, pore drainage, and soil ability to hold water (fiels capacity, available water, and fiels water content). Measurements of bulk density, porosity, pore drainage, and the ability of soil to hold water are done in the laboratory using undisturbed soil samples. Meanwhile, the measurements of infiltration and hydraulic conductivity were done in the field. The result shows that dry farm has the lowest quality of soil physical and hydrology as indicated by the highest bulk density and low porosity, macro pores, infiltration, and hydraulic conductivity. Land of oil palm has lower quality of soil physical than mixed farms. The quality of soil physical in mixed farms is better due to greater amount of plant residue and unintensive soil management that makes the land remains protected with minimum soil damage. The above result proved that the main factor affecting the soil physical properties and hydrology are the intensity of soil management, the quantity and quality of plant residue and organic material. | en |
