Vegetation‐soil relations in an area with sealed chromic Luvisols, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract The bush‐fallow agricultural system promotes soil surface sealing in large parts of semiarid Kenya. This sealing appears to have started shortly after the introduction of cultivation and has initiated decades of soil erosion. The infiltration capacity of chromic Luvisols was measured in a number of areas with various vegetation covers. Infiltration capacity of soils varied by twentyfold, whereas the rainwater infiltration ranged between 3 and 172% of the corresponding rainfall. Mulching of sealed soil surfaces resulted in a quick regeneration of surface structures, demonstrating that plant biomass increased the infiltration capacity.