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Impact of land cover changes and topography on soil quality in the K asso catchment, B ale M ountains of southeastern E thiopia
Author(s) -
Warra Hussein Haycho,
Ahmed Mohammed Assen,
Nicolau Melanie D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
singapore journal of tropical geography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1467-9493
pISSN - 0129-7619
DOI - 10.1111/sjtg.12124
Subject(s) - phosphorus , land cover , environmental science , soil quality , vegetation (pathology) , potassium , land use , nitrogen , plough , nutrient , hydrology (agriculture) , agronomy , soil water , soil science , chemistry , ecology , geology , biology , medicine , organic chemistry , pathology , geotechnical engineering
This study assessed land cover change and topographic elevation on selected soil quality parameters in the K asso catchment, southeastern E thiopia. Twenty‐seven soil samples collected from 0–30cm depth under four land cover types across three elevation gradients were analysed for selected soil quality parameters. Results indicated that soil particle size distribution is different (p<0.001) in the catchment because of the effect of land cover change and elevation. Most cultivated lands occupy lower elevations where clay accumulates as a result of its movement from higher to lower elevations. Ploughing accentuates weathering, making cultivated lands richer in finer materials. Cation exchange capacity and exchangeable magnesium and potassium negatively correlated with elevation, total nitrogen and available phosphorous. Conversion of natural vegetation to cropland contributed to changes in pH (p<0.05), exchangeable calcium (p<0.01), potassium (p<0.001), available phosphorous (p<0.01) and nitrogen (p<0.01) contents. Parameter soil degradation index results showed that soil organic carbon, nitrogen, available phosphorous and exchangeable potassium contents declined and bulk density increased because of the land cover change. This negative effect on agricultural development and environmental health of the catchment makes an integrated land resource management approach indispensable for sustaining agricultural productivity and the environmental health of the K asso catchment.