Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties: The Case of Ezha District, Southern Ethiopia

摘要

Soil erosion is one of the major factors that lead to poor soil productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ever increasing population has driven the populace to inhabit marginal frontiers worsening the soil erosion and food insecurity. Farmers in the study area cultivate formerly untouched communal lands and forest lands by clearing natural vegetations. This exposes to soil fertility loss due to soil erosion resulting in a decline in crop yield. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the effects of soil and water conservation measures on selected soil physicochemical properties in the study area. To determine the effect of soil and water conservation on the selected soil properties, soil analysis was undertaken by taking composite soil samples from conserved and unconserved lands of adjacent sites after categorizing their slopes in to three levels (low, medium and high). Composite soil samples from natural forest were taken and analyzed, and used as control. Most of the selected soil physicochemical properties were affected by soil and water conservation measures. Highest bulk density (1.56g/cm 3 ) was recorded in the unconserved land. The highest mean value of soil moisture content (22.2%) was recorded in the forest soil. Comparing the two farm lands, higher mean values of soil pH, organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable calcium and magnesium were also recorded in the conserved land. Considering the recorded values, the study recommends that implementation of soil and water conservation should be widely practiced in the district. In order to enhance the community adoption towards soil and water conservation, further effort is required.