%0 Journal Article %T Environmental Impact of Bush Burning on the Physico-Chemistry of Mangrove Soil at Eagle Island, Niger Delta, Nigeria %A Aroloye O. Numbere %A Chinedu J. Obanye %J American Journal of Plant Sciences %P 191-201 %@ 2158-2750 %D 2023 %I Scientific Research Publishing %R 10.4236/ajps.2023.142015 %X Wetland soils derive their chemical composition from the sedimentary rock underneath. Among the metals produced are trace and nutrient elements which facilitate plant growth. Bush burning near mangrove forest is a common practice that has not been given much attention despite its negative impact on the environment. We thus hypothesize that the application of fire on wetland soil will negatively impact the soil chemistry. We collected soil samples from burnt and unburnt soilsat different distances from the point of burning to compare the concentration of nutrient elements (Calcium (Ca^²⁺), iron (Fe), Magnesium (Mg), Nitrate (NO₃^-), Phosphate (PO₄^3-) and Potassium (K). The result revealed that there was significant difference between metals (P < 0.05). Iron had the highest overall concentration in burnt (10743.75 ¡À 1508.39 mg/kg) and unburnt (8854.02 ¡À 1734.86 mg/kg) soils. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the concentration of metals in burnt and unburnt soils (P = 0.07). The order of metal concentration in the burnt soil is Fe > Mg > PO₄^3- >