The increasing pace of forest fragmentation and the continuous displacement of buffer zones create overtures in the emerging landscape and carbon mitigation capacity. This study investigated 22 forest patches in Ogbunike-Oyi riparian forest across 4 classified vegetation patches - fine, fair-fine, coarse, and high-coarse grain landscapes. Augered soil samples in a randomized complete block experimental design were tested for physicochemical properties, subjected to descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and significant means separated with the Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5% level of significance. Results revealed a particle size distribution with sandy loam soil textural class that varied significantly (p < 0.05) across vegetation patches, with high clay (50.03%) > medium silt ( 24.62%) > low sand (8.33%) coefficients of variation. Organic carbon was medium (CV = 31.20%), and total nitrogen displayed high variability (CV = 81.31%), depicting uneven nitrogen distribution, viz-a-viz vegetation patch diversity. CEC varied widely, with a mean of 8.05 cmol/kg, showing adequate nutrient retention capacity for sustained forest health. Biochemically protected soil organic matter assessments across vegetation patches showed consistently low humic acid of 0.13 (CV = 1.87%) and fulvic acid variability with a mean of 0.06 (CV = 4.90%). The pH varied significantly (p < 0.05) in the coarse-grained landscape with the highest pH (6.53) neutral profile, as possible impacts of soil variability on vegetation by disturbances and forest litter qualities, highlighting the need for specialized target conservation, particularly with pioneer species, to foster a gregarious approach among patches.
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