Effect of Land Use Change on Soil Carbon Stock and Selected Soil Properties in Gobu Sayyo, Western Ethiopia

Abstract Background: Land-use change is one of the major factors affecting soil degradation. The pressures of the human population on land resources have increased land-use change with more negative effects on soil carbon storage and 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 i.e., forest land, grazing land, and cultivated lands at 0-20cm and 20cm-40cm 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.Results: Soil organic carbon stock was significantly (p<0.05) higher (43.09-81.86 tone ha-1) in forest land and was significantly lower (38.08-43.09 tone ha-1) in cultivated land at the of depth of 0-20cm. SOC stock decreased with dept 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 gcm-3) in the cultivated land whereas, the lowest (1.08 gcm-3) was recorded in the forest at 0-20cm depth. Comparatively the moisture content was higher (25.89%) under forest land at the depth of 20-40cm and was lower (11.22%) under cultivated lands. The chemical soil properties like exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ were higher in forest lands. Organic carbon, avP, TN, ex.Ca2+, ex.Mg2+, ex.K+, and 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 value ranging from 4-6-6.02. The pH, SOC, TN, av. Phosphorus and CEC were higher under forest land as compared to cultivated and grazing lands. Conclusion: It can be concluded that soil organic carbon stocks, 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.

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Soil organic carbon assessment under different land uses in Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Journal of Applied and Natural Science ◽

10.31018/jans.v12i4.2372 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 478-483

Author(s):

Surya Prabha A.C. ◽

Velumani R. ◽

Senthivelu M. ◽

Arulmani K. ◽

Pragadeesh S.

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Land Uses ◽

Forest Land ◽

Size Fractions ◽

Soc Stock ◽

Cauvery Delta

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in soil fertility and is important for its contributions to mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The present study was undertaken to estimate the SOC stock in soils under different land uses of Cauvery Delta zone of Tamil Nadu. Four different land uses were selected for the study viz, Forests, Agriculture, Agro-forestry and Plantations. Soil samples were collected from Madukkur and Kalathur soil series of Cauvery Delta zone for soil carbon analysis. The soil samples were fractionated into three aggregate size classes viz., macro-aggregates (250-2000µm), micro-aggregates (53-250 µm) and silt and clay sized fraction (<53 µm). At 0-30 cm depth, the forest land use stored the maximum SOC stock in the different size fractions viz. macro-sized fraction (73.0 Mg ha-1), a micro-sized fraction (76.0 Mg ha-1) and silt+clay sized fraction (77.0 Mg ha-1) in Madukkur series. Agriculture land use registered the lowest SOC stock. Among the different size fractions, silt+clay sized fraction (< 53 µm) retained the maximum SOC in all the land uses. In Kalathur series also, maximum soil organic carbon stock was recorded in forest land use. The data generated in the study will be beneficial to the user groups viz., farmers in identifying the most suitable land use for enhancing the storage of soil organic carbon thereby improving yields of crops and trees.

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Effects of land use changes on the dynamics of selected soil properties in the Northeast Wollega, Ethiopia

SOIL Discussions ◽

10.5194/soild-2-1075-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 1075-1101

Author(s):

A. Adugna ◽

A. Abegaz

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Land Uses ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Grazing Land ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Abstract. Land use change can have negative or positive effects on soil quality. Our objective was to assess the effects of land uses changes on the dynamics of selected soil physical and chemical properties. Soil samples were collected from three adjacent land uses, namely forestland, grazing land and cultivated land at 0–15 cm depth, and tested in National Soil Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia. Percentage changes of soil properties on cultivated and grazing land was computed and compared to forestland, and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance of the changes. The results indicate that sand, silt, SOM, N, pH, CEC and Ca were the highest in forestlands. Mg was the highest in grazing land while clay, P and K were the highest in cultivated land. The percentage changes in sand, clay, SOM, pH, CEC, Ca and Mg were higher in cultivated land than the change in grazing land compared to forestland, except P. In terms of relationship between soil properties; SOM, N, CEC and Ca were strongly positively correlated with most of soil properties while P and silt have no significant relationship with any of other considered soil properties. Clay has negative correlation with all of soil properties. Generally, cultivated land has the least concentration of soil physical and chemical properties except clay and AP which suggest increasing degradation rate in soils of cultivated land. So as to increase SOM and other nutrients in the soil of cultivated land, integrated implementation of land management through compost, cover crops, manures, minimum tillage and crop rotation; and liming to increase soil pH are suggested.

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Effects of Different Land Use Types Managed By Smallholder Farmers on Soil Properties in Central Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-587450/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Getahun Haile ◽

Mulugeta Lemenih ◽

Fisseha Itanna ◽

Beyene Teklu ◽

Getachew Agegnehu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Grazing Land ◽

Land Use Types ◽

And Chemical Properties

Abstract Background Aim: Land use change causes a remarkable change in soil properties. The nature of change depends on multiple factors such as soil type, type and intensity of land use, climate, and the like. This study investigated the variation in soil physicochemical properties across five common land use practices i.e., enset system, farmland, and grazing-land (closed and open), and Eucalyptus woodlots practiced on originally same soil type and comparable topographic and climatic settings.Methods: A total of 105 disturbed and undisturbed soil samples [5 treatments (land use types) *7 replications (household)* 3 soil depth layers: 0–15cm, 15–30 cm, 30–45cm] were collected for selected soil chemical and physical analyses. Standard soil analytical procedures were followed in carrying out soil analysis. To meet the assumptions of normal distribution and homogeneity of variances, soil data on available phosphors were log-transformed before statistical analysis was undertaken and reported after back transformation. Two way analysis of variable were used to investigate the effects of land use and soil depth and their interaction on soil properties and when the analysis showed a significant difference (p <0.05) among land use and soil depth men separation were made using Turkey’s pairwise comparisons.Results: There were significant differences in physical and chemical properties of soil across land use and soil depth categories. Enset system had significantly higher pH, available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K+), soil organic carbon (SOC), and total nitrogen (TN) and their stocks than other land use types. Enset fields had higher SOC (78.4%) and soil TN (75%), and SOC and TN stocks of (66%) and (58%), respectively than cereal farmland. This study had also revealed a less expected finding of higher soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under Eucalyptus wood than farm land. Soil carbon and total nitrogen stocks showed a decreasing trend of enset system> closed grazing-land > eucalyptus woodlot > open grazing-land > farmland 0-45cm.Conclusion: Overall, some land use systems (e. g. enset agroforestry) improve the soil biophysical and chemical properties, while others such as cereal production degrade the soil. Hence appropriate land and soil management intervention should be promptly adapted to mitigating the continuous loss of nutrient from the dominantly practiced cereal farm land through maintaining crop residues, manure, crop rotation and scaling up agro-forestry system.

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Topographic Position, Land Use and Soil Management Effects on Soil Organic Carbon (Vineyard Region of Niš, Serbia)

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11071438 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1438

Author(s):

Snežana Jakšić ◽

Jordana Ninkov ◽

Stanko Milić ◽

Jovica Vasin ◽

Milorad Živanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Surface Layer ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Compaction ◽

Soil Management ◽

Forest Land ◽

Topographic Position

Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is the result of a combination of various factors related to both the natural environment and anthropogenic activities. The aim of this study was to examine (i) the state of SOC in topsoil and subsoil of vineyards compared to the nearest forest, (ii) the influence of soil management on SOC, (iii) the variation in SOC content with topographic position, (iv) the intensity of soil erosion in order to estimate the leaching of SOC from upper to lower topographic positions, and (v) the significance of SOC for the reduction of soil’s susceptibility to compaction. The study area was the vineyard region of Niš, which represents a medium-sized vineyard region in Serbia. About 32% of the total land area is affected, to some degree, by soil erosion. However, according to the mean annual soil loss rate, the total area is classified as having tolerable erosion risk. Land use was shown to be an important factor that controls SOC content. The vineyards contained less SOC than forest land. The SOC content was affected by topographic position. The interactive effect of topographic position and land use on SOC was significant. The SOC of forest land was significantly higher at the upper position than at the middle and lower positions. Spatial distribution of organic carbon in vineyards was not influenced by altitude, but occurred as a consequence of different soil management practices. The deep tillage at 60–80 cm, along with application of organic amendments, showed the potential to preserve SOC in the subsoil and prevent carbon loss from the surface layer. Penetrometric resistance values indicated optimum soil compaction in the surface layer of the soil, while low permeability was observed in deeper layers. Increases in SOC content reduce soil compaction and thus the risk of erosion and landslides. Knowledge of soil carbon distribution as a function of topographic position, land use and soil management is important for sustainable production and climate change mitigation.

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Dynamics of soil organic carbon in the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan under past and future climate and land use

Regional Environmental Change ◽

10.1007/s10113-021-01799-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Susanne Rolinski ◽

Alexander V. Prishchepov ◽

Georg Guggenberger ◽

Norbert Bischoff ◽

Irina Kurganova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Arable Land ◽

Future Climate ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Scenarios ◽

The Impact

AbstractChanges in land use and climate are the main drivers of change in soil organic matter contents. We investigated the impact of the largest policy-induced land conversion to arable land, the Virgin Lands Campaign (VLC), from 1954 to 1963, of the massive cropland abandonment after 1990 and of climate change on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan. We simulated carbon budgets from the pre-VLC period (1900) until 2100 using a dynamic vegetation model to assess the impacts of observed land-use change as well as future climate and land-use change scenarios. The simulations suggest for the entire VLC region (266 million hectares) that the historic cropland expansion resulted in emissions of 1.6⋅ 1015 g (= 1.6 Pg) carbon between 1950 and 1965 compared to 0.6 Pg in a scenario without the expansion. From 1990 to 2100, climate change alone is projected to cause emissions of about 1.8 (± 1.1) Pg carbon. Hypothetical recultivation of the cropland that has been abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union until 2050 may cause emissions of 3.5 (± 0.9) Pg carbon until 2100, whereas the abandonment of all cropland until 2050 would lead to sequestration of 1.8 (± 1.2) Pg carbon. For the climate scenarios based on SRES (Special Report on Emission Scenarios) emission pathways, SOC declined only moderately for constant land use but substantially with further cropland expansion. The variation of SOC in response to the climate scenarios was smaller than that in response to the land-use scenarios. This suggests that the effects of land-use change on SOC dynamics may become as relevant as those of future climate change in the Eurasian steppes.

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Assessment on the rates and potentials of soil organic carbon sequestration in agricultural lands in Japan using a process-based model and spatially explicit land-use change inventories – Part 1: Historical trend and validation based on nation-wide soil monitoring

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-11-4429-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (16) ◽

pp. 4429-4442 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Y. Yagasaki ◽

Y. Shirato

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Paddy Fields ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Crop Fields ◽

Upland Crop ◽

Soc Stock ◽

Stock Change ◽

Soc Stocks

Abstract. In order to estimate a country-scale soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change in agricultural lands in Japan, while taking into account the effect of land-use changes, climate, different agricultural activities and the nature of soils, a spatially explicit model simulation system was developed using Rothamsted Carbon Model (RothC) with an integration of spatial and temporal inventories. Simulation was run from 1970 to 2008 with historical inventories. Simulated SOC stock was compared with observations in a nation-wide stationary monitoring program conducted during 1979–1998. Historical land-use change, characterized by a large decline in the area of paddy fields as well as a small but continuous decline in the area of orchards, occurred along with a relatively large increase in upland crop fields, unmanaged grasslands, and settlements (i.e. conversion of agricultural fields due to urbanization or abandoning). Results of the simulation on SOC stock change under varying land-use change indicated that land-use conversion from agricultural fields to settlements or other lands, as well as that from paddy fields to croplands have likely been an increasing source of CO2 emission, due to the reduction of organic carbon input to soils and the enhancement of SOC decomposition through transition of soil environment from anaerobic to aerobic conditions. The area-weighted mean concentrations of the simulated SOC stocks calculated for major soil groups under paddy fields and upland crop fields were comparable to those observed in the monitoring. Whereas in orchards, the simulated SOC stocks were underestimated. As the results of simulation indicated that SOC stock change under managed grasslands and settlements has been likely a major sink and source of CO2 emission at country-scale, respectively, validation of SOC stock change under these land-use types, which could not have been accomplished due to limited availability or a lack of measurement, remains a forthcoming challenge.

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Rethinking Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Ekológia (Bratislava) ◽

10.2478/eko-2018-0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 57-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dadi Feyisa ◽

Endalkachew Kissi ◽

Zerihun Kebebew

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Food Security ◽

Eucalyptus Globulus ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Central Highland ◽

Land Use System ◽

Physical And Chemical

AbstractDespite their restriction, smallholder farmers have been continuing growing Eucalyptus globulus in the cultivated land in the central highland of Ethiopia. Literature has shown controversial issues against E. globulus. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the compatibility of E. globulus in the smallholder farmers’ land use system. Soil samples were collected from five different land uses and analysed for selected physical and chemical properties. The socioeconomic contribution of E. globulus was collected through household surveys from 110 households. Analysis of soil showed that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly higher (P<0.05) under E. globulus compared to the cultivated land. The survey results also showed that the largest proportion (58%) of households was interested in growing E. globulus because of its multiple uses. About 83% of households responded that E. globulus help them to attain food security through increasing the purchasing power of smallholder farmers to buy agricultural inputs and food. This study has substantiated the role of E. globulus in the land use system of smallholder farmers. Most of the soil fertility indicators were better under E. globulus. The present finding reveals that E. globulus degrade the soil seemingly difficult to generalise. Growing E. globulus must be promoted under appealing land use to enhance smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Removing E. globulus from the land use system may jeopardise the food security situation of many households.

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