土地退化经常导致埃塞俄比亚许多地区的土壤质量差,包括研究区域。为解决这一问题,推广可持续的土地管理做法,已经实施了各种土地利用和管理方法(LUMM)。然而,关于这些管理实践如何影响研究区域整体土壤质量动态的信息很少。这项研究旨在评估Urago微流域的土壤质量动态,埃塞俄比亚中部高地,根据主要的LUMM:贫瘠的土地(BL),草地(GL),已建立的农场边界(EFB),恢复退化的土地(RDL),和石头支撑土滩(SSB)。从每个LUMM的耕作土壤层(0-20cm)中收集了45个扰动和15个未扰动的土壤样品,并分析了选定的理化性质,以用作土壤质量指标。采用主成分分析和多重相关方法选择最小数据集(MDS)评价土壤质量综合指数(SQI)。MDS包括SOC,粘土含量,可交换的Mg2+,和可用的P,可以代替其他指标来评估研究流域的整体土壤质量动态。结果显示粒度分数有显著变化,土壤有机碳(SOC),总氮(TN),可用P(av.P),和可交换的Na+,K+,和LUMMs中的Mg2水平。RDL比SSB具有更高的砂和淤泥含量,而SSB比RDL有更高的粘土含量,GL,和BL。GL,RDL,EFB显示出更高的SOC水平,TN,av.P,分别,与其他LUMM相比。获得的SQI显示GL得分最高(0.847),其次是SSB(0.703),RDL(0.701),EFB(0.644),和BL(0.628)。这强调了石头支撑的土壤外滩和恢复的退化土地作为通过保护土壤和鼓励可持续耕作方式来提高土壤质量和农业生态系统的有效管理方法的重要性。
Land degradation often results in poor soil quality in many parts of Ethiopia, including the study area. To address this issue and promote sustainable land management practices, various land use and management methods (LUMMs) have been implemented. However, little information is available regarding how these management practices influence overall soil quality dynamics of the study area. This study aimed at evaluating soil quality dynamics in the Urago micro-watershed, central highlands of Ethiopia, under major LUMMs: barren land (BL), grassland (GL), established farm boundary (EFB), restored degraded land (RDL), and stone-supported soil bund (SSB). Forty-five disturbed and fifteen undisturbed soil samples were collected from the ploughed soil layer (0-20 cm) of each LUMM and analysed for selected physicochemical properties to be used as indicators of soil quality. Principal component analysis and multiple correlation were used to select the minimum data set (MDS) to evaluate the overall soil quality index (SQI). The MDS included SOC, clay content, exchangeable Mg2+, and available P, which could replace other indicators for assessing the overall soil quality dynamics of the study watershed. The result showed notable variations in particle-size fractions, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available P (av. P), and exchangeable Na+, K+, and Mg2+ levels among the LUMMs. RDL had higher sand and silt contents than SSB, whereas SSB had higher clay content compared to RDL, GL, and BL. GL, RDL, and EFB showed significantly higher levels of SOC, TN, and av. P, respectively, compared to other LUMMs. The obtained SQI showed that GL had the highest score (0.847), followed by SSB (0.703), RDL (0.701), EFB (0.644), and BL (0.628). This underscores the significance of stone-supported soil bund and restored degraded land as an efficient management method to enhance soil quality and agro-ecosystem through conserving soil and encouraging sustainable farming practices.