In the practice of managing oil palm plantations, standard crop cultivation patterns are carried out, such as land clearing using heavy equipment, the use of chemicals (pesticides and herbicides), and fertilization which will affect soil properties. On the other hand, the HCV area will be left untouched without being managed by maintaining its natural vegetation which is adjacent to the oil palm plantation area. So there are two different land management between oil palm and HCV plantations which in theory will have different land characteristics, especially on differences in soil physical characteristics.

This study aims to determine the differences in the characteristics of soil physical properties with parameters of bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), porosity, permeability, and soil maturity value (COLE Index) in oil palm and HCV areas, especially in wetlands. which is used as an oil palm plantation in Tapin Regency, South Kalimantan Province.Soil sampling was carried out at a depth of 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm on oil palm land and High Conservation Value (HCV) where each land was taken as many as 10 points, so that the total sample amounted to 40 samples. Based on the results of the study showed that the characteristics of particle density(PD), bulk density(BD), and COLE Index, in oil palm land were higher than the HCV area in PT. Kharisma Inti Usaha. The porosity and permeability characteristics of oil palm land are lower than the HCV area.