Abstract
AbstractBackgroundLand degradation is one of the major threats to food security and natural resources conservation Zikre watershed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of land use types, management practices and slope classes on soil physico-chemical properties.ResultsResults of the experiment indicated highest mean values of total nitrogen (0.23%), organic matter (5.01%) and cation exchange capacity (35.44 cmol(+)kg−1) were recorded under the natural forest and the lowest values of the same (0.12%, 2.57% and 26.08 cmol(+)kg−1, respectively) were registered in crop lands. Available phosphorus content was the highest (6.18 mg kg1) in crop lands and the lowest (1.33 mg kg−1) in grazing lands. Comparing management practices the highest mean values of available phosphorus (18.41 mg kg−1), organic matter (5.88%) and total nitrogen (0.29%) were recorded from the cultivated land treated with both manure and soil bund compared to sole soil bund, sole manure and the control plots. Considering the slope classes, the higher mean values of total nitrogen (0.19%), organic matter (4.49%) and cation exchange capacity (33.09 cmol(+)kg1) were recorded in the lower slope classes followed by middle (0.17%, 3.39% and 30.58 cmol(+)kg−1, respectively) and upper slope classes (0.14%, 2.65% and 27.36 cmol(+)kg−1, respectively).ConclusionsTo conclude, conversion of forest lands to cultivated and grazing lands had detrimental effects on the soil physico-chemical properties; whereas construction of soil bunds on farm fields and application of manure improve the same under subsistence farming systems.
Highlights
Land degradation is one of the major threats to food security and natural resources conservation Zikre watershed
Agriculture has always been the mainstay of the economy, it is characterized by very low growth rate
The objective of this research was to assess the effects of different land use types, management practices and slope classes on selected soil physico-chemical properties of Zikere watershed, North-western Ethiopia
Summary
Land degradation is one of the major threats to food security and natural resources conservation Zikre watershed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of land use types, management practices and slope classes on soil physico-chemical properties. Environmental degradation caused by inappropriate land use is a worldwide problem that has attracted attention in sustainable agricultural production systems. A change in land use, poor soil management, topography of the area and socioeconomic activities can negatively affect the potential use of an area and may lead to land degradation and loss of productivity. Low soil fertility was reported as one of the major factors affecting crop production in west part of Amhara region (Yihenew 2002, 2007). The objective of this research was to assess the effects of different land use types, management practices and slope classes on selected soil physico-chemical properties of Zikere watershed, North-western Ethiopia
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