The Impact of Soil Acidity in Soil and Water Conservation and the Current Practices of Soil and Water Conservation Response to Acid Affected Soils in Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

Land degradation is a global negative environmental process that causes the decline in the productivity of land resources’ capacity to perform their functions. Ethiopia has an experience long term in soil and water conservation efforts since1970s and it has established six national Ethiopian Soil Conservation Research Programs were initiated in 1981 and their focus over agro-ecology, land physiographic, climate and farming system but not considerable soil mechanics, hydraulic and geotechnical processes. Agronomic or biological measures are in helping to minimize the soil erosion by increasing soil surface cover, surface roughness, and surface depression storage, soil infiltration and decapitating potential and kinetic energy. In acid affected soil, before installed biological or agronomic soil and water conservation measures should be identified suitable technologies or recommendation either acid soil tolerant or reclaim the soils. Biological soil and water conservation and soil management measure more rehabilitee acid affected soils than physical soil and water conservation due to addition of bio mass, resulting decomposition improve soil structure, aeration, apparition infiltration ultimate reduction of soil erosion functions . Keywords: soil acidity, soil and water conservation DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/86-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2022