Table 2 Mean concentrations/levels (± SE) of different environmental variables quantified from the three habitat types

Organic matter

%

1.5 ± 0.3 a

4.3 ± 1.3 a

16.6 ± 3.2 b

11.7 (2, 3)

0.0381

Phosphorus

mg/kg

39.8 ± 4.8 b

22.8 ± 2.9 a

111.1 ± 6.8 c

45.7 (2, 3)

0.0057

Potassium

mg/kg

10.1 ± 1.7 a

26.7 ± 3.7 b

66.5 ± 4.4 c

29.8 (2, 3)

0.0105

Magnesium

mg/kg

22.1 ± 4.9 a

87.4 ± 11.1 b

144.2 ± 12.0 b

30.4 (2, 3)

0.0102

Calcium

mg/kg

278.2 ± 52.2 a

334.3 ± 32.0 a

1059.1 ± 63.2 b

29.5 (2, 3)

0.0106

Copper

mg/kg

0.0 ± 0.0 a

0.0 ± 0.0 a

0.03 ± 0.01 a

7.7 (2, 3)

0.0661

Manganese

mg/kg

2.4 ± 0.9 a

6.7 ± 0.9 b

19.3 ± 2.5 c

32.6 (2, 3)

0.0092

Zinc

mg/kg

0.4 ± 0.1 a

0.9 ± 0.1 b

3.0 ± 0.2 c

48.4 (2, 3)

0.0052

pH

pH

5.3 ± 0.1 a

5.0 ± 0.1 a

5.2 ± 0.1 a

0.7 (2, 3)

0.5683

Electrical conductivity

dS/m

0.1 ± 0.0 a

0.2 ± 0.0 b

0.3 ± 0.0 c

13.0 (2, 3)

0.0334

Moisture

%

34.2 ± 2.9 a

59.5 ± 2.8 b

70.1 ± 1.8 c

59.0 (2, 3)

0.0039

Microbes

CFU/ml

1.1 ± 0.2 × 10⁸ a

9.1 ± 2.2 × 10⁷ a

5.1 ± 1.0 × 10⁸ a

4.0 (2, 3)

0.1412