Changes in the Physico-Chemical Properties of Degraded Soils in Response to the ReviTec Approach Applied at Gawel (Far-North Cameroon)

Pascal Blaise Tchida,Hartmut Koehler,Raimund Kesel,Albert Ngakou

doi:10.3390/su14010324

Pascal Blaise Tchida, Hartmut Koehler + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010324

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Dec 29, 2021
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Bremen, University of Ngaoundéré

Abstract

A heavily degraded hardé area in the community of Gawel (Extreme Nord) was rehabilitated with a ReviTec approach. To evaluate the efficiency of introduced plants for rehabilitation, the site was monitored with the BioSoilPlot experiment over two years during the dry and rainy seasons (January 2018/2019, June 2018/2019, respectively). ReviTec was applied to accelerate ecological succession and improve the establishment of vegetation on these degradation-prone sites (Gawel 1 and Gawel 2). Growth volume, height and percentage cover of the herbaceous plants and soil physical and chemical parameters were assessed. Growth volume increased in both sites between 2018 and 2019 with Pennisetum pedicellatum exhibiting the highest values (Gawel 1: 3.41 dm3/m2 and 3.50 dm3/m2; Gawel 2: 3.47 dm3/m2 and 3.62 dm3/m2). Bunds were suitable for herbaceous growth, Sesbania sesban having the highest growth height (Gawel 1: 1.91 cm and 1.95 cm; Gawel 2: 1.95 cm and 1.97 cm) and Pennisetum pedicellatum the best percentage cover (Gawel 1: 53% and 58.33%; Gawel 2: 40.67% and 56.67%). Soil changed from sandy and strongly acid to clay-loam and slightly acid at Gawel 1, and from sandy and strongly acid to clay-loam and alkaline at Gawel 2. Soil water content and soil nutrient had increased within the ReviTec site compared to the outside with the application of compost-biochar-mycorrhiza treatment as the most promising over the two years of monitoring. Such results suggest that ReviTec approach can be used in sustainable restoration of soil hardé.

Highlights

Accepted: 23 December 2021Soil is a vital and indispensable resource on which development, independence, food security, economic growth and sustainability of any nation depends [1]
Growth volume varied from 0.00 dm3 /m2 in January for all species, at 3.41 dm3 /m2 in July 2018 and 3.50 dm3 /m2 in July 2019 for P. pedicellatum, 2.90 dm3 /m2 in July 2018 and
B. brizantha showed an important decrease in growth volume, with a significant variation from 3.32 dm3 /m2 in July 2018 to 1.68 dm3 /m2 in July 2019

Summary

Introduction

Accepted: 23 December 2021Soil is a vital and indispensable resource on which development, independence, food security, economic growth and sustainability of any nation depends [1]. Fertile soils are a non-renewable resource by human time spans as their formation and renewal could take hundreds, if not thousands of years [3]. For this reason, the human management of soil resources will have wide-ranging consequences on human security for generations to come [4]. It is estimated that about one fifth of Earth’s land area (more than 2 billion hectares) is degraded, including more than half of all agricultural land [5], affecting more than a billion people all over the world [6]. Africa is the most affected, with about 46% of degraded areas and at least 485 million (65%) people affected [7]

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