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Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Received: 23 June 2020    Accepted: 18 September 2020    Published: 16 November 2020
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Abstract

Nowadays the impact of land use change on different natural and manmade resources including soil resources is getting increased attention globally. Information about impact of land use systems on soil physico-chemical properties is crucial for best land management practices. This study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of land use/land cover on the physicochemical properties of soils of wudma area, southern Ethiopia. The land use systems studied included grazing land, cultivated land, eucalyptus plantation and natural forest. The research was superimposed on land use systems that were located nearby on similar soil. Undisturbed core and disturbed composite soil samples were collected randomly with four replications for each land use system. The influence of land use systems on soil properties were analysed using the analysis of variance general linear model procedure of SAS software. Mean differences due to land use, were identified using The Least Significant Difference (LSD) test after differences were found statistically significant. The results showed that most of the soil physicochemical properties varied with land use systems. For instance soil texture, bulk density, pH (H2O), OM, Total N, available p, CEC, exchangeable K, studied were significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05 and/or P ≤ 0.01) by land use. In contrast, silt, total porosity, exchangeable Na, carbon to nitrogen ratios, was not significantly (P > 0.05) different due to land use. Generally, comparisons between cultivated on one hand and the forest, eucalyptus and grazing lands on the other revealed a highly significant difference on soil fertility parameters. For instance the highest mean values of pH, OM and CEC, TN, Ca and Na were observed in the surface of forest land soil with (6.4, 8.1, 75 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.4, 60, 0.84 cmol (+) kg-1) were observed under the forest land as compared to the lowest values (5.6, 3.8, 35 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.19, 14 and 0.48 cmol (+) kg -1) in the cultivated land respectively. The results of study showed that forest clearing and subsequently cultivation and tillage practices resulted in the decline of the soil quality and these changes effects on soil sensitivity to degradation and erosion. Therefore, reducing the intensity of cultivation and adopting integrated soil fertility management could maintain the existing soil condition and replenish the degraded soil properties of the area.

Published in Modern Chemistry (Volume 8, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12
Page(s) 40-47
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Land Use System, Soil, Physico-Chemical Properties

References
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    Kedir Jemal, Henok Tesfaye. (2020). Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Modern Chemistry, 8(3), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12

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    Kedir Jemal; Henok Tesfaye. Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Mod. Chem. 2020, 8(3), 40-47. doi: 10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12

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    Kedir Jemal, Henok Tesfaye. Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Mod Chem. 2020;8(3):40-47. doi: 10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12,
      author = {Kedir Jemal and Henok Tesfaye},
      title = {Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia},
      journal = {Modern Chemistry},
      volume = {8},
      number = {3},
      pages = {40-47},
      doi = {10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.mc.20200803.12},
      abstract = {Nowadays the impact of land use change on different natural and manmade resources including soil resources is getting increased attention globally. Information about impact of land use systems on soil physico-chemical properties is crucial for best land management practices. This study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of land use/land cover on the physicochemical properties of soils of wudma area, southern Ethiopia. The land use systems studied included grazing land, cultivated land, eucalyptus plantation and natural forest. The research was superimposed on land use systems that were located nearby on similar soil. Undisturbed core and disturbed composite soil samples were collected randomly with four replications for each land use system. The influence of land use systems on soil properties were analysed using the analysis of variance general linear model procedure of SAS software. Mean differences due to land use, were identified using The Least Significant Difference (LSD) test after differences were found statistically significant. The results showed that most of the soil physicochemical properties varied with land use systems. For instance soil texture, bulk density, pH (H2O), OM, Total N, available p, CEC, exchangeable K, studied were significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05 and/or P ≤ 0.01) by land use. In contrast, silt, total porosity, exchangeable Na, carbon to nitrogen ratios, was not significantly (P > 0.05) different due to land use. Generally, comparisons between cultivated on one hand and the forest, eucalyptus and grazing lands on the other revealed a highly significant difference on soil fertility parameters. For instance the highest mean values of pH, OM and CEC, TN, Ca and Na were observed in the surface of forest land soil with (6.4, 8.1, 75 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.4, 60, 0.84 cmol (+) kg-1) were observed under the forest land as compared to the lowest values (5.6, 3.8, 35 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.19, 14 and 0.48 cmol (+) kg -1) in the cultivated land respectively. The results of study showed that forest clearing and subsequently cultivation and tillage practices resulted in the decline of the soil quality and these changes effects on soil sensitivity to degradation and erosion. Therefore, reducing the intensity of cultivation and adopting integrated soil fertility management could maintain the existing soil condition and replenish the degraded soil properties of the area.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Soil Physico-Chemical Property Characterisation Along with Different Land Use System in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia
    AU  - Kedir Jemal
    AU  - Henok Tesfaye
    Y1  - 2020/11/16
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12
    T2  - Modern Chemistry
    JF  - Modern Chemistry
    JO  - Modern Chemistry
    SP  - 40
    EP  - 47
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2329-180X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.mc.20200803.12
    AB  - Nowadays the impact of land use change on different natural and manmade resources including soil resources is getting increased attention globally. Information about impact of land use systems on soil physico-chemical properties is crucial for best land management practices. This study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of land use/land cover on the physicochemical properties of soils of wudma area, southern Ethiopia. The land use systems studied included grazing land, cultivated land, eucalyptus plantation and natural forest. The research was superimposed on land use systems that were located nearby on similar soil. Undisturbed core and disturbed composite soil samples were collected randomly with four replications for each land use system. The influence of land use systems on soil properties were analysed using the analysis of variance general linear model procedure of SAS software. Mean differences due to land use, were identified using The Least Significant Difference (LSD) test after differences were found statistically significant. The results showed that most of the soil physicochemical properties varied with land use systems. For instance soil texture, bulk density, pH (H2O), OM, Total N, available p, CEC, exchangeable K, studied were significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05 and/or P ≤ 0.01) by land use. In contrast, silt, total porosity, exchangeable Na, carbon to nitrogen ratios, was not significantly (P > 0.05) different due to land use. Generally, comparisons between cultivated on one hand and the forest, eucalyptus and grazing lands on the other revealed a highly significant difference on soil fertility parameters. For instance the highest mean values of pH, OM and CEC, TN, Ca and Na were observed in the surface of forest land soil with (6.4, 8.1, 75 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.4, 60, 0.84 cmol (+) kg-1) were observed under the forest land as compared to the lowest values (5.6, 3.8, 35 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.19, 14 and 0.48 cmol (+) kg -1) in the cultivated land respectively. The results of study showed that forest clearing and subsequently cultivation and tillage practices resulted in the decline of the soil quality and these changes effects on soil sensitivity to degradation and erosion. Therefore, reducing the intensity of cultivation and adopting integrated soil fertility management could maintain the existing soil condition and replenish the degraded soil properties of the area.
    VL  - 8
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Shashemene, Ethiopia

  • Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Shashemene, Ethiopia

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