Variation in soil properties under different land use types managed by smallholder farmers along the toposequence in southern Ethiopia

• Published in: Geoderma 2017-03, Vol.290, p.40-50
• Main Authors: Negasa, Tariku, Ketema, Haile, Legesse, Abiyot, Sisay, Mulugeta, Temesgen, Habtamu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Land use; Slope category; Soil depth; Soil physico-chemical properties
• ISSN: 0016-7061; 1872-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.11.021

Understanding soil properties under different land use types along toposequences is vital in determining the types of soil management practices that could be implemented by smallholder farmers for improving the soil health as well as soil productivity. It is also important in addressing the issues of agricultural sustainability. With the objectives of investigating variation in soil properties under different land use types managed by smallholder farmers along the toposequences, three land use types: agroforestry land (AG), cultivated land (CL) and grazing land (GL) under three slope categories (upper, middle and lower slope) were selected in southern Ethiopia, Deko watershed. A total of 108 composite soil samples [3 treatments (land use types)−3 replications−3 slope categories (upper, middle and lower)−4 soil depth layers: 0–20cm, 20–40cm, 40–60cm and >60cm] were collected for laboratory analyses. In addition, undisturbed soil samples were taken using core sampler from each soil depth for the determination of soil bulk density. To infer the biological properties of the soils naked eye soil macro-fauna (NEMF) was counted. The results showed that among the soil properties sand (p