Abstract
This study was performed at lower Wabishebele sub-basin in Somali region south eastern Ethiopia to analyse the land use and cover and spatial variability of soil chemical properties of the sub-basin and develop soil map. A total of 41 soil samples were collected from 0-30 cm depth and analyzed for; pH total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and exchangeable potassium (EK). The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and geostatistical methods. The results showed that highest mean value of pH was recorded from bare land (8.05). The highest mean of soil N was seen on potential croplands (0.251) followed by dense shrub land (0.230), woodland (0.230), croplands (0.187), and sparse shrub land (0.159) and bare land (0.151). The highest mean of AP recorded at dense shrub land (7.279) followed by potential croplands (6.607 ppm), cropland, woodland, bare land and sparse shrub land. Soil map was developed for lower Wabishebele sub-basin. Therefore, the findings of this study can be used as baseline information to implement appropriate soil management intervention for current study area. Key words. Land use, land cover, soil properties, lower wabishebele, sub-basin.
Highlights
Food production in the tropics and subtropics usually relies on available soil nutrient stocks/soil fertility
The low soil available phosphorus (AP) content observed in the lower Wab-ishebele sub-basin is in agreement with the results reported by Fekadu et al (2018) who reported that AP of most Ethiopian soils has been declining due to fixation, crop removal and erosion
This study revealed that land use and land cover influenced major soil chemical properties of the lower Wabi-shebele river sub-basin
Summary
Food production in the tropics and subtropics usually relies on available soil nutrient stocks/soil fertility. This soil fertility is a major production factor for most farmers in Sub-Saharan African Countries in general and Ethiopia in particular where agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy (Sheldrick et al, 2003). Loss in soil fertility and productivity, which occurs from time to time in Ethiopia, is one of the key factors limiting crop yield (Gebreyesus et al, 2011; Yared et al, 2021). Nutrient depletion, and a lack of effective and area specific soil rehabilitation and management methods all contributed to the fall in soil productivity
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