The Influence of Land‐Use Types on Forms of Potassium and Selected Soil Properties in Shashemene District, Southeastern Ethiopia

This study was carried out with the objective of determining impact of land uses on selected soil physicochemical properties of Gindeberet area, Western Ethiopia. Disturbed and undisturbed surface soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from each land use type and examined for their analysis of soils physicochemical properties. Soil samples were analyzed at Ambo University Chemistry Laboratory. Standard procedures were employed for the analyses of selected soil properties. Soil pH ranged from 4.88 (cultivated land) to 5.65 (forest land). Soil bulk density was ranged from 1.09 (forest land) to 1.28 (g/cm3) (cultivated lands). Mean organic matter ranged from 1.38 (cultivated land) to 2.01% (forest land). Mean soil available phosphorus ranged from 2.23 (cultivated land) 4.30ppm (forest land). Mean total nitrogen ranged from 0.08% (cultivated land) to 0.11% (forest land). Mean soil exchangeable calcium and magnesium ranged from 8.16(cultivated land) to 13.44 cmol(+)/ kg (forest land) and 3.54(cultivated land) to 5.33 cmol(+)/ kg (forest land) respectively, while mean soil exchangeable potassium and sodium ranged from 0.28 (cultivated land) to 0.71 cmol(+)/ kg (forest land) and 0.36(cultivated land) to 0.75 cmol(+)/ kg (forest land) respectively. The CEC ranged from 7.63 (cultivated land) to 16.53 cmol(+)/ kg (forest land).Mean available iron, manganese, zinc and copper ranges from 37.08 to 37.71, 22.18 to 37.70, 4.79 to 6.39 and 1.88 to 2.49 respectively. All available micronutrients are higher in forest land and lower in cultivated land. The study pointed out that, the difference between different land use type on soil moisture content, pH, cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable bases. From the present study, it could be concluded that the soil quality and health were maintained relatively under the forest land, whereas the influence on most soil parameters were negative on the cultivated land, indicating the need for employing integrated soil fertility management in sustainable manner to optimize and maintain the favorable soil physicochemical properties.

Land use change is one of the major factors affecting soil degradation. Growing population pressure has increased land use change with more negative effects on soil carbon storage and overall soil properties. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of land use changes on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and selected soil physicochemical properties in Gobu Sayyo, Western Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from three adjacent land uses, that is, forest land, grazing land, and cultivated land, at 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil depths. A total of 36 composite soil samples were collected, and the major soil properties and SOC storage of the area were analyzed and computed based on their standard procedures. SOC stock was significantly (p < 0.05) higher (43.09-81.86 t ha-1) in forest land and was significantly lower (38.08-43.09 t ha-1) in cultivated land at the top 20 cm. SOC stock decreased with depth in all land uses. Changes in land use and soil depth affected the physical and chemical properties of soil. The physical soil property such as bulk density (BD) was higher (1.62 g cm-3) in the cultivated land, whereas the lowest (1.08 g cm-3) was recorded in the forest at 0-20 cm depth. Comparatively, the moisture content was higher (25.89%) under forest land at the depth of 20-40 cm and was lower (11.22%) under cultivated land. The chemical soil properties like exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ were higher in forest lands. Organic carbon, available phosphorus (AvP), total nitrogen (TN), exchangeable calcium (ex.Ca2+), exchangeable magnesium (ex.Mg2+), exchangeable potassium (ex.K+), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were lower under cultivated lands. pH increased with depth and was higher under forest land and lower under cultivated land. Soils of the study area are in general acidic to slightly acid, with pH values ranging from 4.6 to 6.02. The pH, SOC, TN, AvP, and CEC were higher under forest land compared to cultivated and grazing lands. It can be concluded that SOC stocks and the physical and chemical properties were affected by land use change and depth. Therefore, reducing the intensity of cultivation, adopting integrated soil fertility management, and maintaining forest land must be practiced to save the soil of the area from degradation.

Introduction:Soil degradation resulting from land use changes and topographic variations poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability in the Northwestern Ethiopian Highlands. Assessing the influence of land use and slope gradient on soil physicochemical properties is crucial for developing sustainable land management strategies.Methods:This study investigated the effects of four land-use types (cultivated land, grazing land, forest land, and eucalyptus plantations) and two slope gradients (upper and lower slopes) on selected soil properties in the Tach Karnuary watershed in Northwestern Ethiopia. Twenty-four composite soil samples were collected from 0 to 20 cm soil depth in triplicate across all land use and slope categories. In addition, undisturbed soil samples were obtained using a core sampler to assess the bulk density. Standard laboratory procedures were employed to analyze the physical properties (bulk density, porosity, and texture) and chemical properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable cations). Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results:The ANOVA results revealed that land-use type significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.05) affected most soil physicochemical properties, including texture, bulk density, porosity, pH, available phosphorus, organic matter, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable cations. Likewise, the slope gradient had a highly significant (p &amp;lt; 0.01) effect on the bulk density, porosity, pH, organic matter, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable cations.Discussion:Soils on upper slopes exhibited lower fertility and more degraded physical conditions than those on lower slopes, primarily because of erosion and nutrient loss. variations in soil properties were also observed across the different land-use types. These findings underscore the urgent need for slope and land use-specific management interventions to mitigate soil degradation, enhance soil fertility, and promote sustainable land use in the erosion-prone landscapes of the Northwestern Ethiopian Highlands.

Recent research findings imply that the slope aspect has a great impact on soil genesis and soil microclimate. The microclimate has a significant effect on the soil geobiochemical processes taking place in the soil. However, the slope aspect impact on soil properties has not been yet studied well in Ethiopia, particularly in the northern highlands. This research was initiated to link selected soil physicochemical properties with slope aspects under different land use practices. The research was conducted in Gumara-Maksegnit watershed located at the upper Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia. Four slope aspects, eastward (Ew), northward (Nw), southward (Sw), and westward (Ww), and three land use types at each slope aspect, cropland (Cl), forest land (Fl), and grazing land (Gl), were considered. In total, 36 undisturbed soil samples for bulk density and 36 disturbed soil samples for selected soil properties were collected. Soil particle size (texture), bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), soil pH, available phosphorus (av. P), available potassium (av. K), total nitrogen (TN), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were analyzed. The resulting analyses showed no significant variation (p&lt;0.05) across both slope aspects and/or land use types for soil pH and EC, whereas the slope aspect showed a significant effect (p&lt;0.05) on SOC, TN, av. K, and av. P. The highest significant (p&lt;0.05) mean value of SOC was observed in the Ww (3.04%) followed by Nw (2.52%) but SOC was not significant (p&lt;0.05) between Sw and Ew. While the highest av. K (1233.2 centimole/kilogram) and av. phosphorus (35.76 ppm) were observed in Nw slope aspect, the highest TN was in the Ww slope aspect (0.24%). The significant effect (p&lt;0.05) of land uses can be summarized as Fl &gt; Gl &gt; Cl for SOC and TN. A strong positive correlation was observed between SOC and TN (R2 = 0.997) and av. K and av. P (R2 = 0.58) at p&lt;0.05. Generally, the slope aspect, land use types, and their interaction had a significant effect on soil physicochemical properties.

This study aimed to evaluate the soil physicochemical properties and identify the factors influencing them across different land-use types within the forested section of the ecologically significant Jhilmil Jheel Wetland Conservation Reserve. The research was designed around a comparative analysis of three distinct forest sub-sites: Mixed Moist Deciduous Forest (483.9 ha), Riverine Forest (10 ha), and Secondary Scrub Land Forest (25 ha). The study was conducted in the Jhilmil Jheel Wetland Conservation Reserve, located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India during the month of April to June, 2023. Soil samples were collected and analysed for key physicochemical parameters, including soil pH, texture, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium, following standard laboratory procedures. The analysis revealed that the Mixed Moist Deciduous Forest soil possessed significantly superior physicochemical properties, playing a crucial role in nutrient preservation. For instance, the bulk density was lowest in mixed moist deciduous forest (1.28 g cm-3), Organic carbon (2.95%), Total Nitrogen (0.24%), available phosphorus (17.13 ppm) and exchangeable potassium (258.5 ppm). In contrast, the Riverine Forest and Secondary Scrub Land Forest exhibited substantially reduced nutrient levels. Statistical analysis confirmed significant mean differences, indicating these latter sites are more vulnerable to soil degradation and desertification. The study concludes that land-use variation is a critical factor influencing soil physicochemical properties, which directly affects soil biological activity. The findings underscore the importance of the Mixed Moist Deciduous Forest for soil health and provide essential insights for guiding future conservation strategies, soil management practices, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of this vital wetland ecosystem.

In this four-year study, we focused on the impacts of a biochar application on physicochemical soil properties (soil total carbon, total nitrogen, total potassium, total phosphorus, available nitrogen, available potassium, available phosphorus, pH, bulk density and moisture) and bacterial communities in an Albic Clayic Luvisol. The biochar was applied to plots only once with rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha at the beginning of the experiment. The soil samples were collected from the surface (0–10 cm) and second depth (10–20 cm) soil layers after four years. The results showed that that the soil total carbon (TC) and pH increased, but the soil bulk density (BD) decreased with the biochar application. The soil bacterial sequences determined by the Illumina MiSeq method resulted in a decrease in the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, but an increase in the Actinobacteria with the biochar application. The bacterial diversity was significantly influenced by the biochar application. The nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the soil bacterial community structure was affected by both the biochar addition and the soil depth. The Mantel test analysis indicated that the bacterial community structure significantly correlated to a soil with a pH (r = 0.525, P = 0.001), bulk density (r = 0.539, P = 0.001) and TC (r = 0.519, P = 0.002) only. In addition, most of the differences in the soil properties, bacterial relative abundance and community composition in the second depth soil layer were greater than those in the surface soil layer.

Soil organic carbon （SOC） is a crucial indicator for assessing soil fertility. Understanding its spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors is essential for enhancing agricultural sustainability and securing national food security. This study focused on the Fuxian County, Yan'an City, and Shaanxi Province, selecting 22 environmental variables related to SOC formation from four types of environmental factors： topography, climate, vegetation, and soil. Three digital soil mapping methods, random forest （RF）, support vector machine （SVM）, and geographically weighted regression （GWR）, were employed to establish SOC content estimation models. The influencing factors and spatial distribution characteristics of SOC content at 0-20 cm soil depth for the entire study area, garden land, cultivated land, and forest land were analyzed. The results showed that： ① The average ω（SOC） across the entire region of the Fuxian County was 8.54 g·kg-1, with garden land at 6.44 g·kg-1, cultivated land at 7.49 g·kg-1, and forest land at 10.22 g·kg-1. The coefficients of variation were 36.90%, 19.24%, 29.88%, and 32.56%, respectively, all of which fall into the moderate degree of variation. ② In the entire region of the Fuxian County, topography, climate, vegetation, and soil factors all significantly affected the distribution of SOC, with notable differences in their effects on SOC. In forest land, slope （SLP）, mean annual temperature （MAT）, and bulk density （BD） had significant negative effects on SOC, while mean annual precipitation （MAP） and total nitrogen （TN） had significant positive effects on SOC. In garden land, pH, TN, and total potassium （TK） all had significant positive effects on SOC. In cultivated land, MAP had a significant negative effect on SOC, while TN had a significant positive effect. ③ Comparing the performance of different estimation models, the RF estimation model used in this study had the highest R2, the lowest root mean square error （RMSE） and mean absolute error （MAE） values, and the smallest model prediction error. In the linear fitting between measured and estimated values, the RF model's fitting accuracy R2 reached above 0.85, demonstrating the best estimation performance among the models. ④ Utilizing the RF model for spatial estimation of SOC content in the Fuxian County revealed a distribution pattern of lower concentrations in the east and higher in the west. The results can provide decision-making reference for the optimization and adjustment of land-use structure in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau and offer technical support for the accurate estimation of SOC.

Rapid land use changes have been observed in recent years in central Ethiopia. The shift from natural ecosystem to artificial ecosystem is the main direction of change. Therefore, this study was initiated to assess the effects of land use types on selected soil properties in Meja watershed, central highlands of Ethiopia. The randomized complete block design, including three adjacent land use types as treatments with three replications and two soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm), was applied in this study. There were significant differences in some soil properties among the three land use types. Lower soil pH and electric conductivity were observed in cultivated land soils than Eucalyptus woodlots soils. This has indicated the worsening soil conditions due to the shift from Eucalyptus woodlots to cultivated land. Less decomposition rate of the Eucalyptus leaves and debris collection for fuel could result in lowest soil organic carbon at the upper layer of Eucalyptus woodlot soils. However, the highest soil organic carbon at the lower layer was observed in Eucalyptus woodlot soils. The presence of highest soil potassium, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable potassium in cultivated land soil was related to application of artificial fertilizers. Grassland soils have highest exchangeable sodium at the lower layer while highest soil carbon and sum cations at the upper layer, which can be related to the grass root biomass return and less surface runoff on grassland. There was the highest exchangeable sodium percentage on Eucalyptus woodlot soils at the upper layer; it can be due to the less surface nutrient movement and growth characteristics of the tree. The soils in cultivated land was shifted to more acidic and less electric conductivity.This shift can lead to soil quality deterioration that affects the productivity of the soils in the future.Nutrient leaching, application of artificial fertilizer, soil erosion, and continuous farming have affected the soil properties in cultivated land. The presence of highest exchangeable sodium percentage and lowest sum of cations at the upper layer of soil in Eucalyptus woodlot should be noted for management and decision makers. The previous negative speculations on Eucalyptus woodlots which can be related with the soil texture, soil moisture, bulk density, total nitrogen, exchangeable magnesium, calcium, and available sulfur should be avoided because there were no significant differences observed among the three land use types in the study area. The study recommends further studies on the effects of Eucalyptus on soil properties by comparing among different ages and species of Eucalyptus. Finally, planting of Eucalyptus on central highlands of Ethiopia should be supported by land use management decision.

Effective watershed development and management contribute significantly to the sustainable development goals by promoting sustainable livelihoods, bolstering resilience, and safeguarding natural resources. Implementing watersheds using physical soil and water conservation (PSWC) measures is one of the mechanisms employed to halt soil erosion and associated nutrient loss. However, no empirical study has been conducted to examine the effects of Physical Soil and Water Conservation (PSWC) structures and varying slope gradients on selected soil properties in the Ijara watershed, located in the Nonno district of Oromia, Ethiopia. Hence, this study was carried out to assess the influences of PSWC structure and slope gradients on selected soil physicochemical parameters in the study watershed. The research employed a Randomized Complete Block Design technique to collect soil data. A total of 18 composite soil samples were collected from the top 20 cm of soil depth in farmland with and without PSWC structures across three landscape positions. The General Linear Model(GLM) was applied to test the influence of environmental factors on soil physicochemical properties, using the SPSS computer program software version 25. The results showed that sand particles, clay particles, Moisture, Total Nitrogen(TN), Cation Exchangeable Capacity (CEC), Soil Organic Matter, and Soil Organic Carbon, Exchangeable Calcium and Potassium were significantly varied across various watershed management practices (p < 0.05) due to the conservation practice. Bulk Density(BD), Moisture Content, Electro Conductivity, CEC, TN, and Exchangeable P and M showed a significant (p < 0.05) variation related across slope gradients. Except for sand particles and bulk density (BD), the mean values of all analyzed soil properties increased from the upper to the lower slope. The study results have revealed that implementing PSWC measures in the farmland significantly improved most of the physicochemical parameters of the soil compared to the farmland without PSWC measures. In the study area, the stone bund structures of the watershed reduced soil erosion problems and had desirable effects on soil physicochemical properties, improving the land’s productive capacity. Responsible bodies are expected to provide technical support, training, and follow-ups for farmers in the study area to manage the watershed better.

Agriculture ecosystem models for CO2 sequestration, improving soil physicochemical properties, and restoring degraded land

Understanding soil properties under different land use types will help to create effective land management plans and predict the probable impacts on soil properties of any future changes in land use types. Therefore, the study of soil properties variations crosswise land‐use types will have inferences for planning proper soil management strategies and environmental sustainability policy development. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of land use types on soil properties in the Asabla watershed, northwest Ethiopia. To determine the effect of land use types on soil properties, a total of 24 disturbed composite soil samples were collected from four land use types (natural forest, plantation forest, cultivated land and grazing land) at two soil depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm), and three replications. Additionally, to determine bulk density and moisture content, 24 undisturbed soil samples were collected. FAO standard soil analytical procedure was used in carrying out soil properties analysis. The result revealed that except Silt, C:N, Na+ and CEC all other soil physicochemical properties varied significantly (p &lt; .05) across land use types and soil depth. Among the soil properties, higher sand (19%), clay (58.33%), Bd (1.41 g/cm3), MC (32.88%), pH (5.49), soil OC (4.03%), total nitrogen TN (0.27%), available phosphorus AvP (4.66 mg/kg), exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K and Na) (20.22, 4.06, 0.74 and 1.08 cmolckg−1, respectively) and CEC (39.12 cmolckg−1) were verified in the natural forest land use type compared to other land use types. Correspondingly, soil pH, clay, soil bulk density Bd and soil exchangeable bases increased as the soil depth increase across all land use types. The highest value of soil physicochemical properties observed under natural forest land use type could be associated with the continues return litters, less disturbance and low probable of erosion while the lowest value under cultivated and plantation forest land use types could be because of the removal of crop residues, huge uptake of nutrients and soil exposure to erosion. The study highlights significant disparities in soil physical and chemical properties across different land use types, with natural forests exhibiting the best soil conditions, while eucalyptus plantations and cultivated lands show notable degradation. These variations are largely attributed to the conversion of natural forests to other land uses has led to the deterioration of soil quality, posing risks to agricultural productivity, soil fertility and environmental sustainability. Therefore, integrated soil management strategies, such as the return of crop residues, the use of organic and inorganic fertilizers and soil amendments like liming, regulating eucalyptus plantation expansion and implementing soil and water conservation measures, are critical for mitigating variation in soil properties, improving climate resilience, ensuring long‐term food security and ecological sustainability in the study area and similar regions of the Ethiopian highlands.

In Ethiopia, rehabilitation of the natural resource-base in degraded lands through area exclosures has become a necessary intervention, albeit empirical studies on the impact of these exclosures are limited. This study was conducted to investigate changes in selected soil properties along exclosures’ age and slope positions in Kewet district, central dry lowlands of Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from three slope positions of three purposively selected exclosures of 5, 15 and 20 years old and one adjacent open grazing land from 0-10 cm soil depth for analysis of pertinent soil properties. The effect of exclosure age on bulk density, contents of sand, clay, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, CEC, and exchangeable Mg+ and K+ was significant (P<0.05). All exclosures had low bulk density (1.14-1.16 g cm-3) as compared to the grazing land. Higher available water content (173 mm m-1) was recorded in the old exclosure. Soil organic carbon ranged from 2.58% (young exclosure) to 3.37% (middle age exclosure). Soil total nitrogen increased from 0.24-0.34%, while available phosphorus increased from 27-34%, from young to the old exclosure respectively. However, the influence of exclosures’ age on other soil properties was not significant. The young exclosure had the highest CEC (57 cmolc kg-1), whereas the grazing land had the highest total nitrogen and exchangeable Ca2+. From this result, it can be concluded that area exclosures, if managed properly, can improve some of the dynamic soil properties of open degraded grazing lands in the dry lowlands of Ethiopia.

The aim of the study was to determine some physicochemical and chemical properties of post-mining soils reclaimed in different directions, after completed sulfur exploitation by means of the borehole (Frash) method. The study was conducted in 2013 in the former Sulfur Mine „Jeziórko” located on the Tarnobrzeg Plain between Tarnobrzeg and Stalowa Wola cities (Podkarpackie Voivodeship, south Poland). It covered an area of land reclaimed as the arable or forest land. The most important problems connected with sulfur exploitation was the occurrence of a layer of solid sulfur which was previously removed. During the reclamation process, embankments and excavations were leveled through replenishing large amounts of ground, post-flotation lime, mineral fertilizers, and sewage sludge. Moreover, studies upon degraded and non-reclaimed area (by 2013) were also carried out. Examined land was characterized by granulometric composition of sands, loamy sands, and sandy loams. Re-leveling of degraded land using post-flotation lime contributed to lower levels of acidification of reclaimed soil surface. The highest contents of organic carbon and total nitrogen were found in the surface layers of the soils studied. Content of available potassium ranged from very low to average. The soils were characterized by a high content of available magnesium in the surface layers of the profiles (maximum 71.8 mg·kg−1 in soil reclaimed as forest land), while below the Mg content was usually low. Contents of individual exchangeable cations could be lined up in a following decreasing sequence: Ca2+&gt;Na+&gt;K+&gt;Mg2+ Referring to the topsoil, reclaimed soils were characterized by more favorable properties (pH close to neutral, lower acidity, higher sorption capacity, higher organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available forms of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium concentrations) as compared to non-reclaimed soil.

Soil erosion is one of the major factors that lead to poor soil productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ever increasing population has driven the populace to inhabit marginal frontiers worsening the soil erosion and food insecurity. Farmers in the study area cultivate formerly untouched communal lands and forest lands by clearing natural vegetations. This exposes to soil fertility loss due to soil erosion resulting in a decline in crop yield. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the effects of soil and water conservation measures on selected soil physicochemical properties in the study area. To determine the effect of soil and water conservation on the selected soil properties, soil analysis was undertaken by taking composite soil samples from conserved and unconserved lands of adjacent sites after categorizing their slopes in to three levels (low, medium and high). Composite soil samples from natural forest were taken and analyzed, and used as control. Most of the selected soil physicochemical properties were affected by soil and water conservation measures. Highest bulk density (1.56g/cm 3 ) was recorded in the unconserved land. The highest mean value of soil moisture content (22.2%) was recorded in the forest soil. Comparing the two farm lands, higher mean values of soil pH, organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable calcium and magnesium were also recorded in the conserved land. Considering the recorded values, the study recommends that implementation of soil and water conservation should be widely practiced in the district. In order to enhance the community adoption towards soil and water conservation, further effort is required. Keywords : Adoption, soil erosion, soil productivity, soil properties, soil and water conservation DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-7-02 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

Too identify seleniut（Se） content characteristics and influencing factors in soil and crops of Shengli Farm in eastern Sanjiang Plain, statistical analysis and correlation analysis were comprehensively used to analyze the test results of 83 groups of surface soil samples and 34 groups of crop seed samples. The results showed that the Se content in the study area ranged from 0.12 to 0.95 mg·kg-1, with an average value of 0.37 mg·kg-1, and the enrichment degree was stronger with an enrichment coefficient of 3.18. Oxidizable Se was the main Se fraction, accounting for 81%, 79%, 79%, and 80% of T-Se in marsh soil, white soil, dry land, and paddy field, respectively. The content of reducible Se was the lowest, accounting for less than 5%. The effects of soil physicochemical indexes on Se content differences mainly showed that Se was negatively correlated with pH and total potassium （TK） and significantly positively correlated with cation exchange capacity （CEC）, soil organic matter （SOM）, humus （HS）, total nitrogen （TN）, and total phosphorus （TP）. The average content of Se in different land use types was as follows： dryland &gt; irrigated land &gt; grassland &gt; forest land, as the dryland soil with low pH and high SOM was more likely to enrich Se. Among different soil types, the average Se content in gleysols was the highest at 0.45 mg·kg-1, which was higher than the average value in the study area. The average content of Se in the quaternary alluvial layer was the highest at 0.43 mg·kg-1, and its parent material mainly consisted of lacustrine sediments rich in organic matter, which was one of the important factors in forming Se rich soil. The Se content in crops and root soil showed a negative correlation. Se in low pH or high SOM soil was not easily absorbed by crops, and its Se content was also controlled by the form of soil Se, which was positively correlated with available Se content and negatively correlated with oxidizable Se content. Therefore, it is suggested to reduce the amount of artificial fertilizer used in cultivated land as a means of increasing Se bioavailability to change the current situation of crop Se levels in this area.