Land Management Impacts on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Murray, Kentucky

Soil surface properties serve as key indicators of overall soil health and quality. This study aimed to characterize selected physical and chemical properties of cropland, pastureland, and forest soils in western Kentucky. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were gathered from University Farms including North Farm, West Farm, Hutson Farm, and the Be Creek Forest area in Calloway County, Kentucky. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the University Farms includes North Farm, West Farm, Hutson Farm, and Be Creek Forest area in Calloway County, Kentucky. Three replications per field were collected at a depth of 0-7 cm from each selected sampling area. A total of 24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed samples were collected in September 2026. Disturbed soil samples were used to determine soil organic matter (SOM), pH, and aggregates, while undisturbed soil samples were used to determine bulk density (BD), micro-porosity, and water-holding capacity (WHC). The data was analyzed using Excel and a single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) using 5% of level of significance. The results indicate that soil organic matter varied significantly among land uses ( ), bulk density showed highly significant differences ( ), and water-holding capacity ( ) and microporosity ( ) differed significantly across management systems, whereas soil pH exhibited no statistically significant variation ( ). Overall, the changes in soil properties varied among the farms with most soil improvement shows in pastureland. This study implies that farming practices control more physical properties than chemical characteristics, such as soil acidity. Keywords: Bulk density, Microporosity, Soil organic matter, pH, Water-holding capacity