Abstract
Effect of Land use Types on Selected Soil Physical and Chemical Properties at Sire Morose Sub Watershed, Central Highland of Ethiopia
Highlights
Rapid increase in population demands more production of food, fodder, fiber and fuel from the land
Land degradation encompasses the whole environment including individual factors such as soils, water resources, forests, grasslands, croplands and biodiversity [15] Different studies have examined the effects of land use/ cover change on soil physicochemical properties, and most concur that despite its varying consequences land use change frequently leads to nutrient losses and reduction of organic matter inputs in the soil [21]
Considering the three land use types, highest mean sand, silt and clay contents were recorded for surface soil under grazing, forest and cultivated lands respectively (Table 1), whereas the lowest mean silt and clay contents were recorded for subsurface soil under grazing land, while the lowest mean sand (47.67%) content was for the cultivated land
Summary
Rapid increase in population demands more production of food, fodder, fiber and fuel from the land. To meet these needs, vast tracts of land are being put under intensive cultivation and large areas of grazing lands are being overgrazed and degraded in Ethiopia. Due to an increasing demand for firewood, timber, pasture, food, and residential construction, the hardwood forests are being degraded or converted to cropland at an alarming rate in the study area. Under such situations, soil degradation is inevitable [42]. Cultivation of forests for instance can diminish soil carbon (C) within a few years of initial conversion [35] and substantially lower mineralizable nitrogen (N) [41]. [25] reported an increase in bulk density and a reduction in porosity and aggregate stability following the conversion of forest land to crop land, with consequent degradation of adjacent aquatic system
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