Background Soil quality, which can be inferred using indicators that interact synergistically, is affected by land use types and agricultural management practices. This study assessed the status of soil quality under three adjacent land uses (cultivated, grazing, and fallow) in Kersa subwatershed (622 ha). Soil samples were collected from the surface soil (0–20 cm depth) of the identified land uses with three replications and the soil quality parameters were analyzed. A minimum data set of soil quality indicators were selected from physical, chemical, and biological parameters using the literature review and expert opinion method. Linear scoring functions were used to give the unitless scores for the selected data sets, which were then integrated into a soil quality index (SQI). Results The results revealed that bulk density, aggregate stability, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available P, and soil organic carbon (SOC) had a significant difference in SQI among the different land uses. The soil quality indices were 0.69 for grazing land, 0.62 for cultivated land, and 0.59 for the fallow land. The SQI of all the land uses falls in the intermediate soil quality (0.55 < SQI < 0.70) class. Conclusion In almost all the quality indicators assessed, the grazing land was superior to the cultivated and fallow lands. Therefore, implementing management practices that enhance soil quality like organic matter-controlled systems is imperative for sustainable agricultural production in the study area.
Understanding and assessing soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) within the framework of greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation is so crucial in combating climate change and enhancing ecological restoration. The goal of this study was to quantify the current SOCS in major land use types in Kersa sub watershed, eastern Ethiopia. Replicated soil samples from 0 to 20, 20 to 40, and 40 to 60 cm depth were collected from three major land uses types: grazing, cultivated, and fallow lands. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare means and Pearson correlation analysis was used to see relationships between selected soil parameters. The results of the study revealed significant difference in soil organic carbon stock under the different land use types (P≤ 0.05). Soil under grazing land use type had significantly higher values of SOCS (42.9 t/ha and 32.9 t/ha) than cultivated land use type (32.6 t/ha and 26.3 t/ha) and fallow land use type (23 t/ha and 12.5 t/ha) in surface and sub surface layers, respectively. Similarly, SOCS decreased with soil depth in all the land use types and showed positive and significant correlation (P≤ 0.05) with clay content while negatively and significantly correlated with bulk density. The results show potential contribution of vegetation cover in land use to enhance soil organic carbon sequestration and environmental protection.
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