Sustainable Land Management Practices Research Articles

Climate change and adoption of sustainable land management practices in the Niger basin of Benin

Due to the important role that the agricultural sector plays in sustaining growth and reducing poverty in developing countries, the adoption of practices that have the potential to simultaneously improve agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impacts is essential. This paper examines the determinants of farmers’ perceptions of climate change and subsequent adoption of sustainable land management practices in the Niger basin of Benin. Binary and multivariate probit models are applied in a two‐stage regression procedure to cross‐sectional data collected through a survey of 545 randomly selected farm households in 28 villages. The findings indicate that there are substitutabilities among three pairs of sustainable land management practices being used by the farmers. Climate change perception is positively related to land tenure, experience in farming, number of relatives, tractor use, and membership in farmers’ organizations, and negatively related to household size, remoteness, and plough use. Moreover, the findings reveal that the uptake of land management practices is related to assets, land tenure, education level of the household head, remoteness, social network, non‐irrigated land size, having a farm located near a river/lake/stream, tractor and plough use, being a subsistence farmer or not, and memberships in farmers’ organizations. The adoption of sustainable land management practices could be encouraged through improving access to markets, adequate roads, and technologies, as well as by promoting membership in farmers’ organizations.

Effects of land use change on soil physicochemical properties in selected areas in the North West region of Cameroon

BackgroundLand use changes from natural ecosystems into managed ecosystems may have deleterious effects on soil structure and quality. This study characterise the soils under, and assesses the effects of different land use systems on selected soil physicochemical properties in the North West region of Cameroon. Six land use systems including: natural forest, natural savanna, grazing land, afforested land, farmland and Eucalyptus plantation were identified. Ninety soil samples were collected from each at the 0–15 cm depth. Fifteen soil physicochemical properties were measured.ResultsThe conversion of natural forest or savanna to farmland reduces the silt contents, moisture content, organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, pH, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable bases, but increases bulk density, electrical conductivity, exchangeable acidity and sand content significantly (P < 0.05). The results revealed that deforestation and subsequent cultivation of soil had negative effects on the measured soil properties.ConclusionsLand use change has ruined soil quality in the North West region. To reverse soil degradation and promote restoration, emphases should be placed on promoting the use of sustainable land management practices within the savanna, grazing, agricultural and forest management systems.

Recognizing the Rapid Expansion of Rubber Plantation – A Threat to Native Forest in Parts of Northeast India

With the current trend of land use/land cover (LULC) change taking place globally, several parts of northeast India are also showing signs of change in LULC pattern leading to forest loss. This study focusses on the expansion of monoculture rubber plantation ( Hevea brasiliensis ) in selected sub-watersheds in north-east India, and distributed in parts of north Tripura, Mizoram and a major portion in the Karimganj district of Assam. Remote sensing and GIS technique has been used to map and analyse the extent of rubber plantation using temporal IRS LISS III satellite data from 1997 to 2013. It has been observed that rubber plantation increased from 4.47 sq. km to 28.42 sq. km in various parts of the study area. The expansion was more rapid during recent times, i.e. during 2010 to 2013. The plantation took place in dense forest, open forest and degraded forest areas. The spread of the plantation was also observed in one reserved forest located within the study area. There are several instances of negative impacts of rubber plantation expansion in Southeast Asia. Similar expansion of rubber plantation has been observed in northeast India as well. Further spread of rubber plantations in the region needs to be regulated to avoid conversion of dense and reserved forest areas by fostering use of mixed cropping methods instead of rubber monocultures, and by adopting more sustainable land use and management practices.

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON UKRAINIAN CHERNOZEMS

As the granary of Europe, Ukraine has seen a significant rise in productivity and efficiency of its agriculture during the past decades. Chernozems are the primary soils in Ukraine. In order to maintain continued increases in grain production, Ukraine needs to implement conservation tillage and other sustainable land management practices to reduce soil degradation. The paper reviews the problem of Chernozems degradation and summarizes the influences of conservation tillage, cropping systems, fertilization, crop residue management, strip-cropping and contour farming on physical, chemical, and biological properties of Ukrainian Chernozems for the past 50 years. The conversion from plow-tillage to minimum tillage and no-till improves infiltration rate, pH and soil organic matter (SOM) in 0- to 10-cm layer and lead to carbon accumulation in fulvic acids and humins. No significant differences in SOM storage were observed among tillage systems in the 0- to 100-cm layer. The five crop rotation increased 0.8, 0.71, 0.94 t ha-1 yield of cereals and 5.8, 1.0, 4.2 t ha-1 sugar beet under conventional tillage, deep minimum tillage and reduced minimum tillage, respectively. Recommended application of manure in conservation agriculture in the humid zone - 12 t ha-1, in semi-humid zone - 10-12 t ha-1 and 8-10 t ha-1 in semi-arid zone. Green manure, cover crops and inter crops increased crop yield by 2-10% on Forest-Steppe and Steppe Chernozems. The combination of strip cropping, contour farming, contour bunds, and terracing are particularly recommended for the sloping farmland in order to reduce soil erosion. Land-related policies and relevant legislation in Ukraine are also outlined with an aim to contribute to the creation of guidelines and strategies for further implementation of appropriate practices for sustainable agriculture.

Do Land Conservation Practices Have the Same Impact on Smallholder Maize Productivity? The Case of Bunda and Ileje Districts, Tanzania

This paper analyses the adoption of sustainable land management and conservation practices (SLMCPs) and their contribution to maize yield using cross-section data from two distinct agro-ecological zones: Bunda and Ileje districts, which represent Lake andSouthern highland zones with medium and high rainfall, respectively. It samples 15 villages from each district using both stratified and simple random sampling techniques, with a total of 482 households. Descriptive analysis shows that most commonly adoptedSLMCPs in all the districts were sustainable agronomic practices (SAPs), with an adoption rate of 91%. Other practices include soil water conservation and erosion control (SWCEC) (75%), and the use of organic (63%) and inorganic fertilizers (49%). The descriptive analysis and propensity score matching (PSM) results revealed that adopters of SLMCPs and their interactions (with the exception of SAPs), particularly intercropping, had higher yields than their counterparts (non-adopters). The yields varied across SLMCPs and areas. These results imply that the provision of right knowledge and promotion of the adoption of SLMPs and their interactions is pertinent in increasing productivity. However, such initiatives in a given area should be backed by local knowledge and research for effective adoption and sustainable productivity.

Employment Effects of the CAP in Italian Agriculture: Territorial Diversity and Policy Effectiveness

SummaryThe objectives of this article are to provide insights on the employment impacts of CAP measures in Italian agriculture over the period 2007–14, and to explore the diversity of these impacts in four types of area. The main policy tools of the First Pillar have debatable impacts on agricultural employment in all area types, although they were not specifically designed to create jobs but to ensure food production and socio‐environmentally sustainable land management practices. Second Pillar measures bring positive and significant rural development effects to the areas of Italy studied, but these effects differ according to the type of measure: farm and agro‐industrial investment support generates higher employment effects than measures for the agri‐environment, less favoured areas, or rural diversification. The intensity of these effects is higher in those areas where conditions for development are more favourable. They still have positive effects in Peripheral Areas, but the cost of creating new jobs in such areas is higher. It can be argued that we need a more flexible CAP, capable of fitting diverse territorial needs, and strengthened by rules of policy design and implementation more oriented towards the pursuit of territorial cohesion.

Floristic Composition and Carbon Sequestration of "Indikada Mukalana" Forest Reserve, Waga; A Lowland Wet Evergreen Forest in Sri Lanka

Tropical lowland wet zone forests hold the greatest plant diversity, promise high plant carbon stocks. This study examined plant and soil carbon stocks of Forest reserve, Waga, Sri Lanka. Five representative sampling sites (20x20 m) in the forest were used for floristic survey and soil core sampling. Chemical and physical properties of soil samples were analysed for five years during 2011 and during 2014 to 2017. Vegetation survey documented 17 common tree species belonging to 15 genera and 12 families. Of the recorded species, 10 were endemics and 7 were native species. There were two species belonging to Dipterocarpaceae (Diptrocarpus zeylanica and Hopea juncunda). The mean total % C showed a negative correlation (R2=0.42) ranges in value between 2.84% in 2011 and 2.16% in 2017. The soil C fractions were determined by Loss on Ignition (LOI) method and predominated by the fulvic fractions (68.88%) followed by the humic fractions (18.36%) and the free soil litter fractions (12.76%). The total ecosystem carbon in the Indikada Mukalana lowland wet zone forest was 625t C/ha (i.e. biomass C 573.57 tC/ha and soil C 51.68 tC/ha), which was comparatively higher than our previous studies conducted in a highland wet zone forest (361 tC/ha at Udawattakele forest reserve) and a dry zone forest (176 tC/ha at Sigiriya forest sanctuary). The above ground biomass carbon for the forest was 477.98 t C/ha and the below ground biomass was 95.6t tC /ha. The mean total N % showed a positive correlation (R2=0.84) ranges in value between 0.14% in 2011 and 0.18% in 2017. Soil pH in Waga forest was acidic (<5) over the five-year period due to accumulation of more organic acids due to decomposed litter. In conclusion, we recommend this study to further extend towards other land-use classes to understand carbon sequestration in associated land-use classes for providing carbon benefits through carbon conservation via sustainable land management practices. Keywords: Floristics, Carbon sequestration, Waga forest, Soil organic carbon

Household- and plot-level impacts of sustainable land management practices in the face of climate variability and change: empirical evidence from Dabus Sub-basin, Blue Nile River, Ethiopia

Smallholder farmers can adapt to climate variability and change through sustainable land management (SLM) practices that help to offset the negative impacts at farm level. However, use of these practices as adaptation strategy remains low in Ethiopia in general and the study sites in particular. This study aimed at examining the factors that determine farmers’ decision to use SLM measures and to quantify the impact of the practices on crop productivity at household and plot level. The study was based on household- and plot-level primary data and employed nearest-neighbor matching technique to quantify the impact of using the practices on value of production at household level and plot level. The results revealed that households that implemented SLM practices within the period (2004–2009) experienced a 24.1% higher value of production over non-users in 2016. Similarly, plots that received SLM measures within the period (2004–2009) experienced a 28.6% increase in value of production in 2016. The study also made further analysis at plot level using continuous treatment effects in order to take into account the number of years a plot has been under the practice. The result showed plots with SLM structure that are maintained for at least 6 years have a positive increase in value of production at the end of the 6th year, while those that received the practices recently or those that lacked continuous maintenance did not experience a statistically significant increase in value of production. The result also showed marginal benefit of sustaining the SLM practices increases over time at an increasing rate. The implication is that use of SLM measures and maintenance of the structures are crucial to reap significant benefits from the practices. Although value of production increases given the SLM practices, implementation is labor intensive and there is trade-off with other agricultural activities. Therefore, policy measures are required to incentivize implementation and maintenance of the SLM structures.

Land in balance: The scientific conceptual framework for Land Degradation Neutrality

The health and productivity of global land resources are declining, while demand for those resources is increasing. The aim of land degradation neutrality (LDN) is to maintain or enhance land-based natural capital and its associated ecosystem services. The Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality has been developed to provide a scientific approach to planning, implementing and monitoring LDN. The Science-Policy Interface of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) led the development of the conceptual framework, drawing in expertise from a diverse range of disciplines.The LDN conceptual framework focuses on the supporting processes required to deliver LDN, including biophysical and socio-economic aspects, and their interactions. Neutrality implies no net loss of the land-based natural capital relative to a reference state, or baseline. Planning for neutrality involves projecting the likely cumulative impacts of land use and land management decisions, then counterbalancing anticipated losses with measures to achieve equivalent gains. Counterbalancing should occur only within individual land types, distinguished by land potential, to ensure “like for like” exchanges. Actions to achieve LDN include sustainable land management (SLM) practices that avoid or reduce degradation, coupled with efforts to reverse degradation through restoration or rehabilitation of degraded land. The response hierarchy of Avoid>Reduce>Reverse land degradation articulates the priorities in planning LDN interventions. The implementation of LDN is managed at the landscape level through integrated land use planning, while achievement is assessed at national level.Monitoring LDN status involves quantifying the balance between the area of gains (significant positive changes in LDN indicators) and area of losses (significant negative changes in LDN indicators), within each land type across the landscape. The LDN indicators (and associated metrics) are land cover (physical land cover class), land productivity (net primary productivity, NPP) and carbon stocks (soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks).The LDN conceptual framework comprises five modules: A: Vision of LDN describes the intended outcome of LDN; B: Frame of Reference clarifies the LDN baseline; C: Mechanism for Neutrality explains the counterbalancing mechanism; D: Achieving Neutrality presents the theory of change (logic model) articulating the impact pathway; and E: Monitoring Neutrality presents the LDN indicators. Principles that govern application of the framework provide flexibility while reducing risk of unintended outcomes.

Mechanisms mediating the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being and resilience

Human benefits from ecosystems result from complex interactions between ecological and social processes. People affect ecosystems’ capacity to deliver services that contribute to the well-being of humans and their resilience. The delivery of ecosystem services (ES) has often been considered asa linear and direct flow from nature to people without feedbacks or human inputs. We adjusted the widely used ES cascade to highlight how humans mediate each step in the ES delivery. We then applied the proposed framework to empirical field studies in Indonesia. We focused on the role of forested landscapes to increase rural people’s resilience to climate hazards such as drought and floods. We found that human actions determine benefits from ES through several mechanisms (ES management, mobilization, allocation-appropriation, and appreciation). These mechanisms are influenced by peoples’ decisions along the ES cascade, which depend on specific factors related to rules, assets, values, and spatial context. By facilitating or hindering ES flows, some stakeholders can determine who benefits from ES and influence the well-being of others. A better understanding of the mediating mechanisms, factors, and feedbacks in ES delivery can support the design of sound environmental assessments and sustainable land management practices.

Sustainable production of afforestation and reforestation to salvage land degradation in Asunafo District, Ghana

Savannazation and marshy areas are common features of once evergreen and deciduous forest of Ghana. Attempts to salvage such degraded lands have considered replacement with closed tree canopy. This study aims at examining efforts at Asunafo forest area to use tree planting of different species to remedy land degradation in a swamp area colonized by shrubs and grasses. Study methods include the use of field visits and transect walk, photography, archival data, key informant interview, community meeting and socio-economic survey for sourcing primary data for analysis. The results indicate that where the swamp is vegetated by shrubs of different kinds, afforestation shows rapid success. And, where the swamp is dominated by grass species, afforestation success is slow. Terminalia ivorensis, Triplochiton scleroxylon and Ceiba pentandra registered quick impacts in height growth, stem development, canopy formation where the degraded land was originally covered with shrubs. Trees grow well when weed competition for essential resources is reduced through weed control. The study concludes that tree planting in swamp area is sustainable land management practice to redeem land degradation. Also, environmental benefits are imperatives but host communities derived near to zero social and economic benefits because such projects happen outside clean development mechanisms’ arrangement.

Why do farmers still grow corn on steep slopes in northwest Vietnam?

Intense cultivation of annual crops on steep slopes in northwest Vietnam has resulted in widespread and severe erosion. This has led to myriad problems including siltation of dams critical for hydroelectricity generation, and increasing levels of rural poverty due to declining crop yields. The solution to these problems is sustainable land management, in particular sloping land agricultural technologies. Our study focuses on defining, and finding solutions to, a second-order problem: that farmers are reluctant to adopt sustainable land management practices, despite numerous projects demonstrating their effectiveness. Interviews with farmers in northwest Vietnam confirmed that intense corn cultivation on steep slopes provided the majority of income for most households. The financial security associated with growing corn (compared to alternative crops) was the deciding factor in land management choices. However, interviews also revealed that farmers were dissatisfied with growing corn because of low income and high input costs. Farmers’ replies indicated that they thought they had no alternative to growing corn. However, farmers were aware of alternative crops, and were particularly interested in growing grass, fruit trees and timber trees, although few farmers were keen to be first to adopt these alternative species extensively. Further research is required on development of production-to-commercialization chains for alternative crops, and more generally, to find ways to increase farmer financial security during transition to sustainable land management.

Farmer participation in a climate-smart future: Evidence from the Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project

Smallholder agricultural carbon market projects have potential to achieve climate-smart agriculture (CSA), a “triple-win” for food security, climate change mitigation, and adaptation. Farmer participation is critical for achieving widespread impact, yet their adoption of sustainable land management practices is constrained by eligibility, willingness, and ability to participate. This research examines how the Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project enabled smallholder participation, with results emphasizing the importance of institutional conditions and farmers’ perceptions. Findings highlight the necessity of international collaborations and high levels of synergistic coordination. Building social capital and adopting participatory learning approaches are strategies that can increase participation and create inclusive climate-smart agriculture projects.

A communities Eden – grazing Exclosure success in Ethiopia

ABSTRACTThe traditional significance of livestock to rural communities in Ethiopia has resulted in intense pressures on available grazing areas, resulting in vegetation loss, reduced infiltration and increased runoff, greater erosion and land degradation. Unfortunately, the uptake of sustainable land management (SLM) practices in communal grazing land is constrained by a lack of land tenure security. Recently the International Fund for Agricultural Development, working with the Government of Ethiopia, has invested in the capacity of local administrations, to improve land demarcation and the issuance of both individual and community land certificates. This is concurrent with the promotion of improved SLM, particularly zero grazing of communal lands, known by communities as Exclosures. This pilot study reports the biophysical changes observed in four different Exclosures in the Amhara region compared to adjacent communal lands. Irrespective of age, it was found that vegetative cover, biodiversity levels and infiltration rates, all increased in Exclosures, enhancing ecosystem services and function. Results suggest that Exclosures are most effective for large sites with effective cut and carry forage systems. It is evident that the issuance of land titles increases the adoption of SLM practices. Further studies are required to assess the economic and social impacts of Exclosures.

English

Land degradation is increasing in severity and extent in many parts of the world. Success in arresting land degradation entails an improved understanding of its causes, process, indicators and impacts. Various scientific methodologies have been employed to assess land degradation globally. However, the use of local community knowledge in elucidating the causes, process, indicators and effects of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Land degradation may be a physical process, but its underlying causes are firmly rooted in the socio-economic, political and cultural environment in which land users operate. Analyzing the root causes and effects of land degradation from local community knowledge, perception and adapting strategies perspective will provide information that is essential for designing and promoting sustainable land management practices. The main objective of this study was to analyze the perceptions of farmers’ on the impact of land degradation hazard on agricultural land productivity decline, associated with soil erosion and fertility loss. The study used a multistage sampling procedure to select sample respondent households. The sample size of the study was 120 household heads and 226 farm plots managed by these farmers. The primary data of the study were collected by using semi-structured Interview, focus group discussions and field observation. Both descriptive statistics and econometric techniques were used for data analysis. Descriptive results show that 57% of the respondents perceived the severity and its consequence on agricultural land productivity. The following indicators of soil erosion and fertility loss were generally perceived and observed by farmers’ in the study area: gullies formations, soil accumulation around clumps of vegetation, soil deposits on gentle slopes, exposed roots, muddy water, sedimentation in streams and rivers, change in vegetation species, increased runoff, and reduced rooting depth. The direct human activities which were perceived to be causing land degradation in the study area include: deforestation and clearing of vegetation, overgrazing, steep slope cultivation and continuous cropping. The farmers’ possibility of perceiving the impact of land degradation hazard on agricultural land productivity was primarily determined by institutional, psychological, demographic and by bio-physical factors. Farmers who perceive their land as deteriorating and producing less than desired, tend to adopt improved land management practices. On the other hand, farmers who perceive their land to be fertile tend to have low adoption of conservation practices. In order to overcome this land degradation and its consequent effects, the study recommended a need for the government to enforce effective policies to control and prevent land degradation and these policies should be community inclusive /participatory founded up on indigenous and age-honored knowledge and tradition of farmers' natural resource management as well as introduced scientific practices. Key words: Farmers’ perception, land degradation, impact of land degradation, agricultural land productivity.

Tillage-induced wind erosion in semi-arid fallow lands of Central Anatolia, Turkey

Wind erosion and resultant dust emissions create significant risks for land degradation and ecosystem health in arid and semi-arid regions. In these regions, fallowing constitutes a major component of conventional agriculture. The present study was conducted to determine wind erosion quantities and agricultural activity-induced mass transport from fallow lands and to assess the correlations of mass transport with climate and soil characteristics. Experiments were conducted over the fallow lands of two adjacent agricultural enterprises (Altinova and Gözlü, Turkey). Sediment flux was measured with passive traps in wet and dry seasons (Q&lt;sub&gt;t&lt;/sub&gt;WET and Q&lt;sub&gt;t&lt;/sub&gt;DRY). Mass transport in wet and dry seasons was respectively measured as 11.38 and 11.40 kg/ha in Altinova and as 31.61 and 19.71 kg/ha in Gözlü. Both the differences between mass transport of the enterprises and the differences between Q&lt;sub&gt;t&lt;/sub&gt;WET and Q&lt;sub&gt;t&lt;/sub&gt;DRY of each enterprise were found to be significant (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Pearson’s correlation analysis for the correlations of mass transport with soil characteristics revealed significant correlations with electrical conductivity and soil lime content (r = 0.721 and –0.635) (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Total mass transport from the fallow lands of both enterprises throughout a 7-month period of measurement was estimated at 600 t. Based on current findings it was concluded that fallowing should be abandoned and sustainable soil and land management practices from conventional agriculture like minimum tillage or crop rotations should be introduced.

Assessment of agri-spillways as a soil erosion protection measure in Mediterranean sloping vineyards

Suitable vineyard soils enhance soil stability and biodiversity which in turn protects roots against erosion and nutrient losses. There is a lack of information related to inexpensive and suitable methods and tools to protect the soil in Mediterranean sloping vineyards (>25° of slope inclination). In the vineyards of the Montes de Malaga (southern Spain), a sustainable land management practice that controls soil erosion is actually achieved by tilling rills in the down-slope direction to canalize water and sediments. Because of their design and use, we call them agri-spillways. In this research, we assessed two agri-spillways (between 10 m and 15 m length, and slopes between 25.8° and 35°) by performing runoff experiments under extreme conditions (a motor driven pump that discharged water flows up to 1.33 l s-1 for 12 to 15 minutes: ≈1000 l). The final results showed: i) a great capacity by these rills to canalize large amounts of water and sediments; and, ii) higher water flow speeds (between 0.16 m s-1 and 0.28 m s-1) and sediment concentration rates (up to 1538.6 g l-1) than typically found in other Mediterranean areas and land uses (such as badlands, rangelands or extensive crops of olives and almonds). The speed of water flow and the sediment concentration were much higher in the shorter and steeper rill. We concluded that agri-spillways, given correct planning and maintenance, can be a potential solution as an inexpensive method to protect the soil in sloping Mediterranean vineyards.

Factors influencing small-scale farmers’ adoption of sustainable land management technologies in north-western Ethiopia

Land degradation is a serious global problem because it leads to losses in food production and thus jeopardizes food security worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Despite numerous efforts to introduce sustainable land management (SLM) strategies and practices, their adoption by the primary target group, small-scale farmers in developing countries, has been [s]low. This study assesses the problem for the case of Ethiopia. The aim was to analyze the underlying factors that affect the adoption of SLM technologies in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. A detailed survey of 300 households and 1010 farm plots was conducted. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive and econometric analyses. Results show that farmers’ adoption of interrelated SLM measures depended on a number of socio-economic and farm-related factors in combination with the characteristics of the technologies themselves. For example, plot size and the availability of labor, as well as the gender of the household head, affected which SLM technologies were adopted by certain types of households. The adoption of SLM measures depended on the adaptive economic capacity of the farmers, which can be quite diverse even within a small region and can differ from the adoption potential in other regions. Our results suggest that SLM policies and programs have to be individually designed for specific target groups within specific regions, which in turn means that “one size fits all” and “across the board” strategies – which are quite common in the field of SLM – should be abandoned by development agencies and policymakers.

Adapting Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change through Sustainable Land Management Practices: Empirical Evidence from North-West Ethiopia

Adapting Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change through Sustainable Land Management Practices: Empirical Evidence from North-West Ethiopia

Land use and land cover changes and Soil erosion in Yezat Watershed, North Western Ethiopia

Soil erosion affects land qualities and water resources. This problem is severe in Ethiopia due to its topographic features. The present research was aimed to estimate spatiotemporal changes in land-use/land-cover pattern and soil erosion in the Yezat watershed in Ethiopia. This study was carried out by using landsat imageries of 2001, 2010 and 2015. Images were classified into categories using supervised classification by maximum likelihood algorithm. They were also classified into different biomass levels by using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation modeling was applied in a GIS environment to quantify the potential soil erosion risk. The area under grassland, woodland and homesteads have increased by 610.69 (4%), 101.69 (0.67%) and 126.6 ha (0.83%) during 2001–2015. The extent of cultivated land and shrub/bushland was reduced by 323.43(0.02%) and 515.44 ha (3.41%), respectively, during the same period. The vegetation cover in the watershed decreased by 91% during 2001–2010, and increased by 88% during 2010–2015. Increase of NDVI values indicates better ground cover due to implementation of integrated watershed development program in the region. The estimated annual soil losses were 7.2tha−1yr−1 in 2001, 7.7t ha−1yr−1in 2010 and 4.8tha−1yr−1in 2015. Management interventions are necessary to improve the status and utilization of watershed resources in response to sustainable land management practices for sustainable livelihood of the local people.