Land Use Activities and Their Effects on Soil Erosion on the Slopes of Kajulu Hills, Kisumu County, Kenya

Otieno, J,Otieno, A C,Tonui, K W

doi:10.5539/jgg.v11n2p68

Abstract

Soil erosion is a natural phenomenon, but human activities accelerate it between ten to forty times the natural occurrences. It therefore calls for mitigating measure to curb the effects of erosion since soils form at a slower rate than they are destroyed. A study on land use activities and their effects on soil erosion was conducted in the upland ecosystem in Kenya, Kajulu hills. The study assessed the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted by the residents to ease the effects erosion on the hill slopes. A sample size of 295 households out of 1600 households engaged in various mitigating practices was used. The study collected data on the magnitude of soil (kg) lost from the arable lands using collector ditch technique. The data were analyzed using frequency distribution tables and Man U-test. The result showed a double amount (1.198kg/m2) of soil lost on the arable land without mitigation measures as compared to plots under cut off ditches (0,615kg/m2) and vegetative strips (0.904kg/m2) with Man U=7. These findings were above the world wide estimation of soil erosion on arable mountainous regions which range between 1.3-40.kg/m2/year (13-40T/Ha/year) as it was based on one rainy season.

Highlights

Soil erosion is one of the major environmental problems in the world
The finding showed a double amount (1.198kg/m2) of soil loss on the arable land without mitigation measures as compares to plots under cut off ditches (0,615kg/m2) and vegetative strips (0.904kg/m2) with Man U=7. These findings were above the world wide estimation of soil erosion on arable mountainous regions which ranges between 1.3-40.kg/m2/year (13-40T/Ha/year) (Patric, 2002) as it was based on one rainy season
There was a double amount (1.198kg/m2) of soil lost on the arable land without mitigation measures as compares to plots under cut off ditches (0,615kg/m2) and vegetative strips (0.904kg/m2)

Summary

Introduction

Soil erosion is one of the major environmental problems in the world. The soils form at slower rate than they are destroyed. Land use activities that have resulted to accelerated erosion are agricultural expansion into marginal lands, burning of pasture land, over grazing and de-vegetation (Huber et al, 1995; Kohler, 1987; World Resource Institute, 1990; Oldeman et al, 1990; Wageningen, 1990). It requires actual conservation practices as well as formulation of policies in order to control the influence of the primary factors leading to soil erosion. This study focused on assessing the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted by the farmers living on the hill slopes of Kajulu to minimize the effects of soil erosion

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion