Causes Of Land Degradation Research Articles

Land degradation and sustainable land management practices in Pacific Island Countries

Land degradation in many Pacific Island Countries (PICs) has become an emerging concern in recent years. The causes of land degradation in PICs include: deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices, overgrazing, mining, population pressure, land tenure issues and changing climate. Deforestation and inappropriate agricultural practices especially on sloping lands often lead to soil erosion, a key process leading to land degradation. On-site effects of accelerated soil erosion include decline in soil physical properties, loss of soil organic carbon and loss of plant nutrients and subsequently low crop productivity. This threatens the environment and food security for the growing population in PICs. The PICs are embarking on sustainable land management practices to address land degradation and safeguard the resource for their future generation. However, limited resources, lack of capacity and awareness on land degradation amongst the population are serious obstacles to implementation of sustainable land use plans and management.

Classification of farmland ownership fragmentation as a cause of land degradation: A review on typology, consequences, and remedies

Farmland ownership fragmentation is one of the important drivers of land-use changes. It is a process that in its extreme form can essentially limit land management sustainability. Based on a typology of land degradation and its causes, this process is here classified for the first time as an underlying cause which through tenure insecurity causes land degradation in five types (water erosion, wind erosion, soil compaction, reduction of organic matter, and nutrient depletion). A review of relevant literature enables the further presentation of a list of 21 types of land degradation and another extensive list of the 37 most common causes of land degradation. This work further presents an overview of harmful consequences of high farmland ownership fragmentation, and possibilities for remedying the effects. These possibilities consist of eliminating or mitigating those causes accelerating the fragmentation process, defragmenting current land ownership, and remedying the effects brought by this process.

Estimating the rainfall erosivity for management planning in the Eastern Desert, Egypt

Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation in arid areas. Soil erosion models, e.g. the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), use arithmetical expressions to explore relationships among various processes occurring in the terrain. The established model includes soil parameters, slope, climate and human activities to estimate the water erosion rate and sediment yield. In this study, an approach was adopted to integrate RUSLE model and geographic information system to detect erosion vulnerability and determine the soil erosion risk in the study area. The study area is situated in the Eastern Desert, Egypt. Ground truth data were examined to represent two regions: Luxor-Suhag and Suhag–ElMinya. These regions are exampled by four dry valleys named Sannor, Tarfa, Asyut and Qena, which are planned for agricultural development. The results indicate high risk of water erosion and sediment load discharge into the cultivated land in Luxor–Suhag region. The other region of Suhag–ElMinya is moderately affected by water and sediment load discharge. A higher soil erosion rate was found in Qena wadi followed by Asyut, then Tarfa and Sannur, respectively.

Phosphorus pools responses to land-use change for sugarcane expansion in weathered Brazilian soils

Without proper management, land-use change (LUC) associated with producing sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) for bioenergy in Brazil can lead to soil degradation and have negative implications on ecosystem functions. Phosphorus (P) depletion is one of the most frequent causes of land degradation in tropical environments, and as such, soil P pools have been identified as potential indicators of negative environmental impacts. We quantified soil P dynamics for the most common LUC sequence in sugarcane expansion areas [i.e., native vegetation (NV) to pasture (PA) to sugarcane (SC)], to determine if and how these changes could be used to evaluate environmental impacts of LUC in weathered Brazilian soils. Soil samples were collected from three areas in central-southern Brazil, representing the primary sugarcane-producing region of the world. Soil P fractionation was performed, and P stocks were calculated for the surface 30cm. Soil chemical attributes and macrofauna data were correlated with P pools. Long-term conversions from natural ecosystems (Cerrado and Atlantic forest biome) to extensive PA decreased total P stocks by 31.2% indicating progressive soil degradation in these areas. In contrast, the LUC from PA to SC increased total P stocks by 35.6%; nevertheless, fertilization management altered the soil P-cycle, causing P accumulation in less plant-available forms. Available P increases to support adequate SC growth are still needed. Applying P using organic residues increased labile organic P and may be a complementary strategy for increasing nutrient supplies in SC fields. Phosphorus availability showed significant positive correlations with other soil chemical properties and clay content, while the functional diversity of soil macrofauna was strongly correlated with labile and biological P. We conclude that P pools can be useful indicators for assessing LUC modifications on soil quality in the tropics, and recommend they be used to assess land degradation and environmental sustainability within SC expansion areas in Brazil.

Assessment of land degradation and its impact on crop production in the Dry Zone of Myanmar

Land degradation in terms of soil degradation is a major environmental issue posing threat to sustainable livelihood in the semi-arid region of Central Myanmar. However, the studies on soil degradation status and its impacts in this region are very scanty. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of land degradation on crop production both in terms of area and yield in the Dry Zone of Myanmar. Remote sensing and geographic information system-based modelling was utilized to assess and map soil erosion rates. Household survey was conducted to understand the causes of land degradation and its impacts on crop productivity and livelihoods. It has been found out that the current rate of soil erosion ranged from 0 to 114 t ha–1 yr–1, and that the average rate of soil erosion increased from 14.2 to 54.6 t ha–1 yr–1 over a period from 2000 to 2012. The major types of land degradation were physical and chemical soil degradation. Farmers identified topographic condition, soil types, improper crop management practices and climatic factors as the main causes of soil erosion. The observed crop yields of monsoon rice, groundnut, sesame and cotton in the highly degraded area were 3–12 times lower compared with the yields of these crops grown in less degraded area. Livelihoods of the farmers in the high-degraded area were affected by crop yield reduction, increased cultivation cost and increased uncultivable land area. The impact of land degradation on crop production was dependent on the severity of degradation. This suggests that advanced conservation measures are immediately required and the supportive policy strategies need to be implemented to educate farmers and to strengthen extension services for sustainable land management in the Dry Zone of Myanmar.

Remote sensing monitoring of gullies on a regional scale: A case study of Kebai region in Heilongjiang Province, China

Gully erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation in most areas and attracts increasing attention from researchers. We monitored gullies in the Kebai region in Heilongjiang Province of China by using remote sensing data and found that gully density increased with the increase in slope when the slope was less than 3°. Gully density in sunny slopes or windward slopes was greater than in shady slopes or leeward slopes because of the impacts of freezing and thawing, wind and solar radiation. Specifically, the gully density in northeast slope was the greatest and in southwest was the smallest. Gully density was reduced with increasing slope length and the longer the slope length, the less the gully density changed between 1965 and 2005. Affected by runoff, gullies most easily to occur in concave slopes and the critical elevation for gully erosion was 250–275 m. Moreover, hilly regions had the greatest gully density, followed by tableland regions, whereas the gully density in flatlands was the lowest. However, the gully density of these three types of landforms all increased between 1945 and 2000, and the portion of increase was 57.45% (hill), 52.91% (mesa) and 25.32% (plain), respectively.

Cost‐Effective Targeting Soil and Water Conservation: A Case Study of Changting County in Southeast China

AbstractSoil erosion is by far the greatest cause of land degradation and other environmental and socio‐economic problems in China. Although various conservation methods are widely utilized to reduce soil erosion and to sustain agricultural production, the cost‐effectiveness and selection of these methods are less known. Using our survey and ecological data, this study evaluated four soil and water conservation methods in Changting County, Southeast China. The results show that the disparity of conservation costs is much larger than that of ecological benefits. Planting fruit trees is a kind of conservation through primarily economic development. Closing hillsides for afforestation is most cost‐effective, followed by forest fertilizing, and planting trees and grass. Our findings suggest that comparatively lower cost conservation methods, for example closing hillsides for afforestation, should be considered in priority if initial ecological conditions can meet the requirements of the method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative analysis of soil erosion sensitivity using various quantizations within GIS environment: an application on Sperchios river basin in Central Greece

ABSTRACTSoil erosion is a prominent cause of land degradation and desertification in Mediterranean countries. The detrimental effects of soil erosion are exemplified in climate (in particular climate change), topography, human activities and natural disasters. Modelling of erosion and deposition in complex terrains within a geographic information system (GIS) requires reliable estimation of topographic factors, as well as the formulation of erosion models adequate for digital representation of spatially distributed parameters. In the current paper, two different approaches for the estimation of erosion in the Sperchios river basin are described and evaluated using GIS – the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Gavrilovič method. Implementing the ArcGIS 10.2.1 programme, the necessary input data for these approaches were estimated using four different quantizations that were created using topographic maps, courtesy of the Greek Geographical Army Service. The results indicated that even though a high-resolution quantization is always preferred for more reliable results, when there is a lack of available data, coarser quantizations can also be used to extract similar estimations.

Restoration of Degraded Gidan Waya Forest Reserve

Land degradation is a matter of serious concern. Vast area of land all over the world has been converted into unproductive and degraded lands. Ecosystem restoration through plantation forest is the most effective technique to reclaim the degraded landscape. Measurement of slopes angles and correspondent rates of soil erosion were taken at different spots of cultivated slopes which have been occupied for particular period of time. This paper explores the impact of human activities as the main cause of land degradation and loss of biodiversity. The result indicated that cultivation on steeper slopes is more harmful and degradation is faster. Restoration of this area is possible when farmers receive environmental education through the planting of exotic tree species of Tectona grandis and G melina that grows faster in this region. The DPSIR (Driving force, Pressure, State, Impacts, Response) conceptual framework model is used to illustrate how degradation control could be more effective, tackling not only the drivers of change but also major developmental issues such as poverty and food insecurity. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n7p146

English

Northern Nigeria despite its promising agricultural potential, is currently not enjoying economic bloom like its Southern counterpart as a result of political, religious, ethnic and socio-economic factors. The degradation of land and its resulting impact on other agricultural resources may have further exacerbated the economic and social conditions of the region. The perceived encroachment of Nigeria’s Savannah into its rainforest zone indicated possible land degradation. Some authors attributed this degradation to anthropogenic sources whilst others reported climatic variability (which is nature-driven) as the singular culprit. Therefore, this study reviews the impacts and implications of both human-related and climatic factors on land degradation in Northern Nigeria. Human-related activities such as agricultural/pastoral expansion, agricultural intensification and fuel-wood extraction as well as climatic/physical factors such as rainfall variability and land-atmosphere feedback mechanisms were suggested by various authors as agents of land degradation in Northern Nigeria. The remediation strategies to reduce the impacts of anthropogenic factors include the practice of agroforestry, rainwater harvesting, local irrigation techniques, utilization of wetter sites, contour ridging and terracing to conserve nutrient and water run-off, cautionary expansion of cultivated sites, and the maintenance of a viable seed stock well-suited to variable climatic conditions. The recommendations made on the resulting conflict between crop farmers and pastoralists include a federal government-assisted water project to build more waterpoints at strategic areas in the region and the practice of agropastoralism. However, the controversy over the cause of land degradation in Africa has led to a number of research questions itemised in this paper on the main cause of land degradation, the elements of climate inducing the dryness and wetness of the region, and the extent of land recovery when wet seasons return.   Key words: Land degradation, impacts and implications, human-related factors, climatic factors, northern Nigeria.

SOIL EROSION IN THREE GRAZED PLANT COMMUNITIES IN NORTHEASTERN PATAGONIA

Grazing has been identified as the main cause of land degradation in Patagonia. However, land degradation is highly variable among areas, even within the same paddock. This strongly suggests that different plant communities differ in their resistance to land degradation. In this study, we have evaluated soil erosion at both microsite and community scales in coexisting plant communities subject to sheep grazing in northeastern Patagonia. Three plant communities coexist in the area: two shrub steppes dominated by Chuquiraga avellanedae Lorentz and Nassauvia ulicina (Hook. f.) Macloskie, and a grass steppe dominated by Nassella tenuis (Phil.) Barkworth. At a community scale, our results indicate that shrub steppes generally experienced soil erosion, whereas the grass steppe commonly did not show signs of soil erosion/deposition. At a microsite scale, non-vegetated soil surface types and degraded mounds never accumulated sediments, regardless of plant community. In contrast, we found that in some sites, the intact mounds and grasses entrapped sediments, but in other sites, soil erosion prevailed. Our results highlight the fact that soil erosion measurements are scale dependent, because results at microsite and community scales often differ. When comparing among communities, grass steppe is more intensely grazed, but at the same time, it shows less evidence of past and present erosion. In contrast, the N. ulicina community showed a direct relationship between grazing and soil erosion. Finally, soil erosion was not related to grazing in the C. avellanedae community. Our results demonstrate that the grass steppe is more resistant to land degradation than shrub steppes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perception of Farmers on Soil Erosion and Conservation Practices in Dejen District, Ethiopia

Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation that causes low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. Though, it is a natural process, its rate has increased significantly mainly by human activity. The study was conducted in Dejen district, in Northwestern Ethiopia to assess perception of farmers on soil erosion and conservation practices. In this study, both primary and secondary data collection techniques were used. These includes interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and questionnaires were the source of this research. The sampling technique employed in this study were stratified, purposive and simple random were applied to select sample kebele and representative households heads. A sample of 250 heads of households were used to gain insight into soil erosion perceived by farmers and conservation practices in the study area. The finding of the study shows that almost all farmers of the study area had good perception on the causes, indicators and problems of soil erosion. The main causes of soil erosion perceived by farmers in the study area were high intensity of rainfall, continuous cultivation, topography and inappropriate soil conservation practices. The major soil conservation methods implemented by farmers in the study area were terracing, diversion ditches, and contour plowing and cut of drain. This research finding also concludes that the main constraints to apply soil conservations in Dejen district were mainly related to socioeconomic and biophysical factors such as uncontrolled (free) grazing, distance between homestead and farm land and farmers’ low level of the economic capacity.

Socio-economic and biophysical determinants of land degradation in Vietnam: An integrated causal analysis at the national level

Recognizing the socio-economic and biophysical causes of land degradation at the national level is important for cause-targeted strategies when designing policies for combating land degradation. This study aims to identify the biophysical and socio-economic factors that significantly affect land degradation across Vietnam and to interpret the causalities underlying the effects. The dependent variables considered in the study are spatial, the extent and intensity of degradation in three land-use zones (agriculture, forest and severely degraded abandonment). The hypothesized explanatory variables are common economic and demographic drivers and bio-physical factors such as soil, terrain constraints, and neighborhood land-use structures that are often neglected in many large-scale land degradation assessments. Instead of using a single inferential statistic technique, we used multi-linear regression and binary logistic regression in a complementary manner to increase the detectability and credibility of the degradation cause analyses. The results showed agricultural production growth had strong and consistent effects on land degradation extent and intensity. Population growth, especially in rural areas, had a strong effect on the extent of overall land degradation. The importance of a neighboring forest was revealed for its ability to reduce land degradation intensity in abandoned, unproductive lands. The concrete faceting of the causal analysis for each land-use zone as social–ecological stratum allowed us to combine the defined social–ecological contexts, contemporary theories, and hypotheses in the field to clarify the causal factors of a complex phenomenon like land degradation. The study demonstrates these contemporary inferential statistics can be complementarily used to sufficiently detect and understand land degradation causes at the national level. The results suggest implications for national land management policy: internalizing land degradation costs in the farming system evaluation for payment for ecosystem services policy, restricting forest conversion, and improving extension services and education in agrarian communities.

LAND DEGRADATION AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS

Land degradation at the catchment scale in Iran is widespread, usually assumed to be accelerated by th e activities of local inhabitants. Social issues such as low income, poverty and low level of welfare an d education contribute to land degradation. A study w as conducted to identify the causes of land degrada tion in Merek catchment, Iran and to propose appropriate measures to curtail it. In this study, land/soil s urveys were carried out and soil samples analyzed. Subsequ ently, farmers, herders and nomads were interviewed and relevant experts were consulted. The results re vealed that improper tillage practices, overgrazing and forest clearance were the worst significant human-i nduced factors causing land degradation. The other factors include crop cultivation without rotation a nd fallow period, improper tillage practices, crop residues burning and conversion of rangelands and forest to agricultural areas. Training and extension, soil conservation measures with farmers’ participation, enactment of new laws and amending of current laws (for monitoring agricultural activities such as fer tilizers and pesticide application and burning of c rop residues), forest preservation, improving the curre nt grazing systems and empowering government employees are the possible measures to curtail land degradation in the study area. It is suggested tha t the government should create job opportunities among the unemployed in the village and enhance their welfa re by introducing insurance, health services and educa tional level. These measures would result in sustai nable agricultural practices in the Merek catchment and h elp ensure conservation of its rangeland and forest .

Assessment of mercury erosion by surface water in Wanshan mercury mining area

Soil erosion is a main cause of land degradation, and in its accelerated form is also one of the most serious ecological environmental problems. Moreover, there are few studies on migration of mercury (Hg) induced by soil erosion in seriously Hg-polluted districts. This paper selected Wanshan Hg mining area, SW China as the study area. Revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and Geographic information system (GIS) methods were applied to calculate soil and Hg erosion and to classify soil erosion intensity. Our results show that the soil erosion rate can reach up to 600,884tkm−2yr−1. Surfaces associated with very slight and extremely severe erosion include 76.6% of the entire land in Wanshan. Furthermore, the cumulative erosion rates in the area impacted by extremely severe erosion make up 90.5% of the total. On an annual basis, Hg surface erosion load was predicted to be 505kgyr−1 and the corresponding mean migration flux of Hg was estimated to be 3.02kgkm−2yr−1. The erosion loads of Hg resulting from farmland and meadow soil were 175 and 319kgyr−1 respectively, which were enhanced compared to other landscape types due to the fact that they are generally located in the steep zones associated with significant reclamation. Contributing to establish a mass balance of Hg in Wanshan Hg mining area, this study supplies a dependable scientific basis for controlling soil and water erosion in the local ecosystems. Land use change is the most effective way for reducing Hg erosion load in Wanshan mining area.

Influence of cohesive and disruptive forces on strength and erodibility of tropical soils

Direct impact of intense tropical rainfall following deforestation and other deleterious land practices is one of the major causes of land degradation in the Caribbean. The susceptibility of the exposed soil to degradation depends on the cohesive strength of soil binding factors and the magnitude of disruptive forces produced by the intense rainfall. We propose that the combination of cohesive binding factors of clay and organic matter in a soil subjected to varying wetting conditions exert a strong influence on the resistance of the soil to sustained shearing stresses. Simulated rainfall experiments involving intense rainfall of 120mmh−1 were conducted on six Trinidad soils selected based on three levels of clay and two levels of organic matter. Samples were either left dry or pre-wetted with mist at slow (7.5mmh−1) and fast (75mmh−1) wetting rate to antecedent water content of 0.5 of field capacity and field capacity, followed by exposure to the intense simulated rainfall. We found that increase in clay content did not necessarily increase the cohesive strength of low organic matter soils since high clay soils shear and crust as much as low clay soils under the shearing stresses of intense rainfall and fast wetting. At high organic matter content, however, the resistance to shearing stresses increased at medium and high clay contents suggesting that high organic matter is required at these clay contents to reduce the surface tension of water entering the clay–organic matter matrix and thus increasing the cohesion of the clay particles. For medium to heavy textured soils of the humid tropics subjected to disruptive forces of intense rainfall, interaction rather than the individual effects of clay and organic matter control their erodibility.

Perspectives on the assumed causes of land degradation in the rangelands of Sub-Saharan Africa

Soil erosion and land degradation are serious problems in tropical Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, where they are widely recognized as more serious problems than in non-tropical areas. Sub-Saharan Africa experiences deleterious levels of soil erosion, largely due to the interaction between harsh climates of high erosivity, fragile soils of high erodibility, steep slopes, and poor natural resource management. The fundamental challenge is to separate purely background-level soil erosion due to biophysical, geomorphic, topographic, and climatic conditions from what is caused by humans. This review shows that the human-induced causes of soil erosion and land degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa are not fully understood and some of the commonly listed causes may not always stand the test of critical scrutiny. The popular views of human-induced soil erosion and land degradation not only fail to take into consideration the fact that land degradation is primarily a physical process, but also they do injustice to adaptive ecosystem management by the local inhabitants. The review specifically questions the stereotypes of overpopulation, overgrazing, deforestation, overstocking, and general rangeland degradation due to human resource use in Sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical evidence suggests that biophysical factors including soil properties, climatic characteristics, topography, and vegetation can sometimes interact among themselves to yield high soil erosion and degradation rates independent of anthropogenic impacts.

Escorrentía y pérdida de suelo en cárcavas : modelización en un agrosistema del Prepirineo oscense

Erosive dynamic of gullies in Mediterranean environments represents one the main causes of land degradation and sediment yield in productive agrosystems. In this work the semi-physics enhanced RMMF model is applied into a GIS to elaborate spatially distributed maps of potential and effective cumulative runoff and soil erosion at the La Coloma Gully catchment (Spanish Central Pre-Pyrenees). The gully reaches a maximum length of 523 m and is divided into four different sectors according to its physiographic properties. The map of soil detachment by splash highlights the key role of vegetation properties to explain the different estimated rates. Processes of runoff accumulation and infiltration and slope values mainly control the estimated values of soil detachment by runoff. The average value of soil erosion at catchment scale is 33.9 Mg ha-1 yr-1 being runoff transport capacity the limiting factor in 88% of the surface and total soil loss adds up to 411.4 Mg yr-1. The average value of estimated soil erosion in the gully is 176.5 Mg ha-1 yr-1 with values that range between 0.1 and 502.6 Mg ha-1 yr-1 for the different sectors and the total volume of runoff is 779 mm yr-1. Crops, paths and areas with low vegetation cover and high slope are the main source areas of sediment to the main channel of the gully and present high values of soil erosion (higher than 30 Mg ha-1 yr-1).Information gained with the enhanced RMMF model is of interest to implement soil and water conservation practices and develop sustainable economic and environmental strategies.

Organic matter fraction and pools of phosphorus as indicators of the impact of land use in the Amazonian periphery

The unsustainable use of the soil of the deforested area at the Amazonian border is one of the greatest threats to the rainforest. Among the causes of land degradation in the humid tropics are phosphorus depletion (P), the decrease of soil organic matter (SOM) and the loss of basic cations. The aim of this study was determine the effects of different land uses on the dynamics of soil organic matter and phosphorus, to determine whether and how changes in the P and SOM can be used to assess the degree of land degradation in the humid tropics and whether the use of ecological systems can lessen or mitigate this degradation. Five systems were chosen according to potential use in the region: pasture of 30 years; no-tillage with 5 years of rice–maize rotations; no-tillage in alley cropping systems of 10 years; a newly cleared area; and 20 years of undisturbed secondary forest. Each field was sampled in a “W” pattern, to collect the soil samples from the chosen systems, prior to the chemical analyses. The SOM was separated by physical soil fractionation. The soil P fractionation was performed. All of the soil samples showed a very low pH range. The potential acidity was high under the alley cropping system, with more intensive and continuous use. All of the more labile fractions of organic matter decreased with the continuous use of soil in the alley cropping system. Therefore under alley cropping, most of the P (approximately 95%) was found in an inorganic form, and approximately 60% was found in the less labile fractions. The pasture and secondary forest showed higher contents of the labile fractions of organic matter and organic P. Higher correlations of organic P were found with the silt and clay fractions of organic matter. The results indicate that the fractions of P and organic matter are important indicators to assess changes in the degree of land degradation in the humid tropics. These results indicate also that the intensive and continuous use of annual crops in the soils of the humid tropics must be considered as posing a high risk to the sustainability of the agrosystems, mainly because of the increase of the active and potential acidity, the decrease of the labile organic matter and the depletion of the pools of organic P, leading to land degradation.

Effects of Land Degradation on Agriculture in Anambra State: Issue for Agricultural Extension Policy

The study examined the effects of land degradation on agriculture in Anambra state. Two Local Government Areas were purposively selected from the state while a town community was purposively selected from each of the Local Government Areas. Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 50% of the villages in each town and a total of 112 respondents were used for the study. Frequency, percentage and mean score were used for data analysis. Some findings of the study were: erosion (M=2.50), excessive use of inorganic manure and agrochemicals (M=2.45) and construction of roads and houses (M=2.42), were serious causes of land degradation in the area. High cost of input in farming (M=2.52) and rural urban migration were major effects of land degradation in the area. Evidences of the effects of land degradation in the area were: estimated mean monthly income dropped from N35,000 in 2005 to N15,000 in 2009. Mean farm size decreased from 1.5 hectare in 2005 to 0.75 hectare in 2009. Percentage of respondents rearing goat dropped from 80.4% to 41.1% while percentage of respondents growing cassava dropped from 100% to 80.4% within these years. Majority of the respondents pointed out aforestation (77.7%), controlled grazing (75.9%) as strategies they use to prevent land degradation in the area. They sourced information on land management and conservation practices from town criers (M=2.52) and radio (M=2.35).The study enumerated the need to include land management and conservation practices into agricultural extension programme (ADP) so that their clientele( farmers) can be equipped and involved practically in conservation/management of land for improved agricultural output and better future.