Spatial variability of soil chemical properties under different land-uses in Northwest Ethiopia.

Gizachew Ayalew Tiruneh,Eduardo Saldanha Vogelmann,Derege Tsegaye Meshesha,Nigussie Haregeweyn,José Miguel Reichert,Tiringo Yilak Alemayehu,Remigio Paradelo Núñez

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253156

Gizachew Ayalew Tiruneh, Eduardo Saldanha Vogelmann + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253156

Copy DOI

Abstract

The understanding of the spatial variation of soil chemical properties is critical in agriculture and the environment. To assess the spatial variability of soil chemical properties in the Fogera plain, Ethiopia, we used Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), pair-wise comparisons, descriptive analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA). In 2019, soil samples were collected at topsoil (a soil depth of 0-20 cm) from three representative land-uses (cropland, plantation forestland, and grazing lands) using a grid-sampling design. The variance analysis for soil pH, available phosphorus (avP), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable potassium (exchK), exchangeable calcium (exchCa), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) revealed significant differences among the land-uses. The highest mean values of pH (8.9), avP (32.99 ppm), OC (4.82%), TN (0.39%), EC (2.28 dS m-1), and exchK (2.89 cmol (+) kg-1) were determined under grazing land. The lowest pH (6.2), OC (2.3%), TN (0.15%), and EC (0.11 dS m-1) were recorded in cultivated land. The PCA result revealed that the land-use change was responsible for most soil chemical properties, accounting for 93.32%. Soil maps can help identify the nutrient status, update management options, and increase productivity and profit. The expansion of cultivated lands resulted in a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Thus, soil management strategies should be tailored to replenish the soil nutrient content while maintaining agricultural productivity in the Fogera plain.

Highlights

Environmental degradation caused by irrelevant land-use is a global problem in sustainable agriculture
The expansion of cultivated areas has a substantial influence on soil nutrient content [14]. [15] reported changes in the amount of soil organic carbon and total N due to changes in land-use and land-cover in the Gerado catchment, northeastern Ethiopia. [16] reported that deforestation has led to the deterioration of soil organic matter
Higher available phosphorus (avP) values in soils could be revealed by the recurrent use of mineralized phosphorus [38], and the

Summary

Introduction

Environmental degradation caused by irrelevant land-use is a global problem in sustainable agriculture. Changing land-use from forest cover to plough-land may result in a decrease in soil fertility, nutrients, and productivity [3,4,5,6], as well as increased soil perturbation [5,7,8,9,10,11,12]. Rapid population growth and environmental factors in Ethiopia have resulted in converting forestland and grassland to cultivated land [13]. [15] reported changes in the amount of soil organic carbon and total N due to changes in land-use and land-cover in the Gerado catchment, northeastern Ethiopia. Soil nutrient deficiency is a critical problem in the country and a major crop production constraint [17,18]

Methods

Results

Conclusion