Soil flora is of immense importance to enhance the edaphic factors of any ecosystem and it is well known that the growth and development of the plants are majorly supported by the availability of nutrients in the soil. The objective of the present investigation was to study the effects of canopies of selected fifteen angiosperm trees in the Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus of “The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan” a sandy land of the Cholistan desert. For this purpose, the physio-chemical properties of soil and the availability of micro and macro-nutrients present in the soil, under the canopies of selected species were recorded and compared with that of un-canopied and fertile soil. The collected soil samples were sieved, oven-dried, and then analyzed through inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and Kjeldhal’s apparatus for the determination of macro and micro-nutrients. The studies showed that the concentrations of macro and micronutrients were high in considerable amounts in the soil samples taken from canopied zones as compared to un-canopied zones. Highest nitrogen contents were observed in Callistemon viminalis i.e. 0.8288+0.0395. Comparing the micro-nutrients of barren and fertile soil, it was demonstrated through results that most of the selected tree species soil samples showed considerable amounts of micronutrients present in them. It was evident that due to the presence of angiosperm trees, the pH of the soil samples changed from extremely alkaline to less alkaline, hence improving its fertility. Results also revealed that the texture of the soil was sandy due to the desert ecosystem which changed to clayey nature due to the presence of studied trees. Amongst 15 canopied soil samples, angiosperms Tamarix aphylla exhibited maximum electrical conductivity 5.19+0.0256 and minimum pH 7.84+0.043. It was also found that soil under Moringa oleifera showed maximum moisture content (i.e. 5.30+0.002). The overall picture of the recent study indicated that angiosperms have positive impacts on the soil parameters which enhance its fertility.

Index terms: Soil fertility, angiosperms, EC, pH, moisture contents, soil texture, macro, and micro-nutrients.