Journal of Ecology and Environment

The Ecological Society of Korea (한국생태학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The extent of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in forest fragments of the central highlands of Ethiopia

  • Tolessa, Terefe (Institute of Cooperatives and Development Studies, Ambo University) ;
  • Senbeta, Feyera (College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University)
  • Received : 2018.08.09
  • Accepted : 2018.10.18
  • Published : 2018.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background: Deforestation and degradation are currently affecting the ecosystem services of forests. Among the ecosystem services affected by deforestation and degradation are the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stored in forest soils which have greater impacts in global climate change. This study aimed at examining the amount of SOC and TN in the forest fragments which were separated from the continuous tracts of forests of Jibat and Chillimo through fragmentation processes over four decades. Methods: We have sampled soils from 15 forest fragments of Chillimo and Jibat in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The soil samples obtained in two separate soil depths (0-30 and 30-60 cm) were bulked, dried, and sieved for analysis. Results: Our results have shown that the two sites (Jibat and Chillimo forest fragments) differed in their SOC and TN contents. While the values for Jibat were found to be 29.89 Mg/ha of SOC and 2.84 Mg/ha for TN, it was 14. 06 Mg/ha of SOC and 1.40 Mg/ha for TN for Chillimo. When all forest fragment soil samples were bulked together, Jibat site had twice the value of SOC and TN than Chillimo. When disaggregated on the basis of each fragments, there existed differences in SOC (1.86 Mg/ha and 42.15 Mg/ha) and TN (0.24 Mg/ha and 4.23 Mg/ha) values. Among the forest fragments, fragment four ($F_4$) had the highest Relative Soil Improvement Index (RSII) value of 3826.82% and fragment fifteen ($F_{15}$) had the lowest RSII value (726.87%) which indicated that the former had a better quality of soil properties than the latter. Conclusion: SOC and TN differed across sampled fragments and sites. Variations in soil properties are the reflections of inherent soil parent material, aboveground vegetation, human interferences, and other physical factors. Such differences could be very important for identifying intervention measures for restoration and enhancing ecosystem services of those fragments.

Keywords

References

  1. Amanuel W, Yimer F, Karltun E. Soil organic carbon variation in relation to land use changes: the case of Birr watershed, upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia. J Ecol Environ. 2018;42:16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0076-1
  2. Ameha A, Larson HO, Lemenih M. Participatory forest management in Ethiopia: learning from pilot projects. Environ Manag. 2014;53:838-54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0243-9
  3. Batjes NH. Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world. Eur J Soil Sci. 1996;47:151-63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1996.tb01386.x
  4. Bavey PC, Baveye J, Gowdy J. Soil "ecosystem" services and natural capital: critical appraisal of research on uncertain ground. Front Environ Sci. 2016. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2016.00021.
  5. Beniston JW, DuPont ST, Glover JD, Lal R, Dungait JAJ. Soil organic carbon dynamics 75 years after land-use change in perennial grassland and annual wheat agricultural systems. Biogeochemistry. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-9980-3.
  6. Bennett AF, Saunders DA. Habitat fragmentation and landscape change. In: Sodhi NS, Ehrlich PR, editors. Conservation biology for all: Oxford University Press. doi; 2010. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199554232.001.0001.
  7. Berenguer E, Ferreira J, Gardner TA, Aragao LEOC, de Camargo PB, Cerri CE, Durigan M, de Oliveira RC, Vieira IG, Barlow J. A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests. Glob Chang Biol. 2014; 20:3713-26. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12627
  8. Berihu T, Girmay G, Sebhatleab M, Berhane E, Zenebe A, Sigua G. Soil carbon and nitrogen losses following deforestation in Ethiopia. Agron Sustain Dev. 2017; 37:1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-016-0408-4.
  9. Birhane E, Treydte AC, Eshete A, Solomon N, Hailemariam M. Can rangelands gain from bush encroachment? Carbon stocks of communal grazing lands invaded by Prosopis juliflora. J Arid Environ. 2017;141:60-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.01.003
  10. Cardelus CL, Scull P, Hair J, Baimas-George M, Lowman MD, Wassie AE. A preliminary assessment of Ethiopian sacred grove status at the landscape and ecosystem scales. Diversity. 2013;5:320-34. https://doi.org/10.3390/d5020320
  11. Chen D, Mi J, Chu P, Cheng J, Zhang L, Pan Q, Xie Y, Bai Y. Patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities along a precipitation gradient on the Mongolian Plateau. Landsc Ecol. 2015;30:1669-82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-9996-z
  12. Demessie A, Signh BR, Lal R. Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks under plantations in Gambo District, Southern Ethiopia. J Sustain For. 2011;30:496-517. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2010.550547
  13. Demessie A, Singh BR, Lal R. Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks under chronosequence of farm and traditional agroforestry land uses in Gambo District, Southern Ethiopia. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst. 2013;95:365-75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-013-9570-0
  14. Dingpeng X, Peili S, Yinliang S, Jianshuang W, Xianzhou Z. Effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity and soil carbon, nitrogen storage in alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. Chin Geogra Sci. 2014;24(4):488-98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-014-0697-y
  15. Duguma LA, Hager H, Sieghardt M. Effects of land use types on soil chemical properties in smallholder farmers of central highland Ethiopia. Ekologia (Bratislava). 2010;29(1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.4149/ekol_2010_01_1
  16. Echeverria C, Coomes D, Salas J, Rey-Benayas JM, Lara A, Newton A. Rapid deforestation and fragmentation of Chilean temperate forests. Biol Conserv. 2006;130:481-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.01.017
  17. Ellert BH, Bettany JR. Calculation of organic matter and nutrients stored in soils under contrasting management regimes. Can J Soil Sci. 1995;75:529-38. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjss95-075
  18. Eswaran H, Van Den Berg E, Reich P. Organic carbon in soils of the world. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1993;57:192-4. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1993.03615995005700010034x
  19. Fang X, Xue Z, Li B, An S. Soil organic carbon distribution in relation to land use and its storage in a small watershed of the Loess Plateau, China. Catena. 2012;88:6-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2011.07.012
  20. Gamfeldt L, Snall T, Bagchi R, Jonsson M, Gustafsson L, Kjellander P, Ruiz-Jaen MC, Froberg M, Stendah J, Philipson CD, Mikusinski G, Andersson E, Westerlund B, Andren H, Moberg F, Moen J, Bengtsson J. Higher levels of multiple ecosystem services are found in forests with more tree species. Nat Commun. 2013;4:1340. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2328, www.nature.com/naturecommunications.
  21. Gelaw AM, Singh BR, Lal R. Organic carbon and nitrogen associated with soil aggregates and particle sizes under different land uses in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Land Degrad Develop. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2261.
  22. Gelaw AM, Singh BR, Lal R. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks under different land uses in a semi-arid watershed in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 2014;188:256-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.02.035
  23. Guan F, Tang X, Fan S, Zhao J, Peng C. Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks followed the conversion from secondary forest to Chinese fir and Moso bamboo plantations. Catena. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena. 2015.03.002.
  24. Gurmesa GA, Schmidt IK, Gundersen P, Vesterdal L. Soil carbon accumulation and nitrogen retention traits of four tree species grown in common gardens. For Ecol Manag. 2013;309:47-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.02.015
  25. Gurmessa B, Demessie A, Lemma B. Dynamics of soil carbon stock, total nitrogen, and associated soil properties since the conversion of Acacia woodland to managed pastureland, parkland agroforestry, and treeless cropland in the Jido Komolcha District, southern Ethiopia. J Sustain For. 2016;35(5):324-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2016.1175950
  26. Habtemicael M, Yayneshet T, Treydte AC. Responses of vegetation and soils to three grazing management regimes in a semi-arid highland mixed croplivestock system. Afr J Ecol. 2014;53:75-82.
  27. Han Y-S, Lee E-P, Park J-H, Lee S-I, Lee S-Y, You Y-H. Organic carbon distribution and cycling in the Quercus glauca forest at Gotjawal wetland, Jeju Island, Korea. J Ecol Environ. 2018;42:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0068-1
  28. Henry M, Valentini R, Bernoux M. Soil carbon stocks in ecoregions of Africa. Biogeosci Discuss. 2009;6:797-823. https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-6-797-2009
  29. Islam KR, Weil RR. Land use effects on soil quality in a tropical forest ecosystem of Bangladesh. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 2000;79:9-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(99)00145-0
  30. Jackson ML. Soil chemical analysis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc; 1958. p. 183-204.
  31. Jimenez JJ, Lal R, Leblan HA, Russo RO. Soil organic carbon pool under native tree plantations in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. For Ecol Manag. 2007;241:134-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.01.022
  32. Lal R. Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Geoderma. 2004;123: 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.01.032
  33. Lal R. Forest soils and carbon sequestration. For Ecol Manag. 2005;220:242-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.08.015
  34. Lal R. Soil carbon management and climate change. Carbon Manage. 2013;4(4): 439-62. https://doi.org/10.4155/cmt.13.31
  35. Lemenih M, Itanna F. Soil carbon stocks and turnovers in various vegetation types and arable lands along an elevation gradient in southern Ethiopia. Geoderma. 2004;123:177-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.02.004
  36. Lemenih M, Lemma B, Teketay D. Changes in soil carbon and total nitrogen following reforestation of previously cultivated land in the highlands of Ethiopia. SINET: Ethiop J Sci. 2005;28(2):99-108.
  37. Liu M, Ussiri DAN, Lal R. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions under different land uses and tillage practices. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal. 2016; 47(12):1528-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2016.1194993
  38. Mathew MM, Majule AE, Sinclair F, Marchant R. Relationships between on-farm tree stocks and soil organic carbon along an altitudinal gradient, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. For Trees Livelihoods. 2016;25(4):255-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2016.1202790
  39. Mesfin A. Nature and management of Ethiopian soils. Ethiopia: Alemaya University of Agriculture; 1998. p. 272.
  40. Moraes JL, Cerri CC, Melillo JM, Kicklighter D, Neill C, Skole DL, Steudler PA. Soil carbon stocks of the Brazilian Amazon basin. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1995;59:244-7. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1995.03615995005900010038x
  41. Navarrete IA, Tsutsuki K. Land-use impact on soil carbon, nitrogen, neutral sugar composition and related chemical properties in a degraded Ultisol in Leyte, Philippines. Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2008;54:321-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0765.2008.00244.x
  42. Peng G, Bing W, Guangpo G, Guangcan Z. Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen based on GIS and geostatistics in a small watershed in a hilly area of northern China. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e83592. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083592.
  43. Raymond YA, Ronald LG. Introduction to forest ecosystem science and management. 3rd ed. Hoboken: Wiley; 2003. p. 576.
  44. Sakai H, Inagaki M, Noguchi K, Sakata T, Yatskov MA, Tanouchi H, Takahashi M. Changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen in an area of Andisol following afforestation with Japanese cedar and Hinoki cypress. Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2010;56:332-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0765.2010.00446.x
  45. Shrestha BM, Singh BR. Soil and vegetation carbon pools in a mountainous watershed of Nepal. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst. 2008;81:179-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-007-9148-9
  46. Strassburg BBN, Kelly A, Balmford A, Davies RG, Gibbs HK, Lovett A, Miles L, Orme CDL, Price J, Turner RK, Rodrigues ASL. Global congruence of carbon storage and biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. Conserv Lett. 2010;3:98-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2009.00092.x
  47. Tamrat B. Vegetation ecology of remnant Afromontane forests on the central plateau of Shewa, Ethiopia. Acta Phytogeographica Suecica. 1993;79:1-64.
  48. Tesfaye D, Fashing PJ, Bekele A, Mekonnen A, Atickem A. Ecological flexibility in Boutourlini's Blue Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii) in Jibat forest, Ethiopia: a comparison of habitat use, ranging behavior, and diet in intact and fragmented forest. Int J Primatol. 2013;34:615-40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-013-9684-x
  49. Tesfaye MA, Bravo F, Ruiz-Peninado R, Pando V, Bravo-Oviedo A. Impact of changes in land use, species and elevation on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in Ethiopian Central Highlands. Geoderma. 2016;261:70-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.06.022
  50. Tolessa T, Senbeta F, Kidane M. Landscape composition and configuration in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Ecol Evol. 2016;6:7409-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2477
  51. Tolessa T, Senbeta F, Kidane M. The impact of land use/land cover change on ecosystem services in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Ecosyst Serv. 2017;23: 47-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.11.010
  52. Vagen T-G, Lal R, Singh BR. Soil carbon sequestration in sub-Saharan Africa: a review. Land Degrad Dev. 2005;16:53-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.644
  53. Vanderhaegen K, Verbist B, Hundera K, Muys B. REALU vs. REDD+: carbon and biodiversity in the Afromontane landscapes of SW Ethiopia. For Ecol Manag. 2015;343:22-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.01.016
  54. Walkley A, Black CA. An examination of digestion method for determining soil organic matter and proposed modification of the proposed chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci. 1934;37:29-38. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-193401000-00003
  55. Wassie A, Sterck FJ, Teketay D, Bongers F. Effects of livestock exclusion on tree regeneration in church forests of Ethiopia. For Ecol Manag. 2009; 257:765-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2008.07.032
  56. Workneh S. Land use changes and soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen in the Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia. Vienna, Switzerland: MSc Thesis, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences; 2008. p. 65.
  57. Yimer F, Alemu G, Abdelkadir A. Soil property variations in relation to exclosure and open grazing land use types in the Central Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. Environ Syst Res. 2015;4:17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-015-0041-2.
  58. Yimer F, Ledin S, Abdelkadir A. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks as affected by topographic aspect and vegetation in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Geoderma. 2006;135:335-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2006.01.005
  59. Yohannes H, Soromessa T, Argaw M. Carbon stock analysis along altitudinal gradient in Gedo Forest: implications for forest management and climate change mitigation. Am J Environ Prot. 2015;4(5):237-44. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20150405.14

Cited by

  1. The Effects of Land Use and Landscape Position on Soil Physicochemical Properties in a Semiarid Watershed, Northern Ethiopia vol.2020, pp.None, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8816248
  2. Fine root biomass and soil properties following the conversion of miombo woodlands to shifting cultivation lands vol.194, pp.None, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104693