Characteristics of termite mounds and associated Acrisols in the coastal savanna zone of Ghana and impact on hydraulic conductivity

The characteristics of termite mounds and associated Rhodic Acrisol and Haplic Acrisol in the coastal savanna zone of Ghana and their impact on hydraulic conductivity were assessed. Majority of the mounds exhibited a cone-shaped morphology with heights varying between 3.05 m - 4.00 m in the Rhodic Acrisol and 2.05 m - 4.20 m in the Haplic Acrisol with corresponding estimated total mass of 96,361 kg and 54,910 kg per 1000 m2 land area. These estimates represented a large amount of material relative to the 25,000 kg - 26,000 kg of surface soil material within the same unit area. The treatment of the 0 cm - 20 cm topsoil with mound material caused about 2 - 5 fold reduction in K theta ; the effect was more pronounced when the mound was applied on the soil surface. Improvement in water retention and nutrient availability to plants and prevention of leaching to avoid groundwater contamination are some of the positive attributes of this study.