Effects of land management practices and land cover types on soil loss and crop productivity in Ethiopia:A review

Identifying land management practices(LMPs)that enhance on-site sediment management and crop productivity is crucial for the prevention,reduction,and restoration of land degradation and contributing to achieving land degradation neutrality(LDN).We reviewed studies in Ethiopia to assess the effects of LMPs on soil loss(84 studies)and crop productivity(34 studies)relative to control practice.Yield variability on conserved lands was assessed using 12,796 fixed plot data.Effects of LMP on soil loss were 0.5-55 t ha^(−1)y^(−1)compared to control practices yielding 50 to 140 t ha^(−1)y^(−1).More than 55%of soil loss records revealed soil loss less than the tolerable rate(10 t ha^(−1)).Area closure,perennial vegetation cover,agronomic practices,mechanical erosion control practices,annual cropland cover,and drainage groups of practices led to 74.0±18.3%,69.0±24.6%,66.2±30.5%,66.1±18.0%,63.5±20.0%,and 40±11,1%soil loss reduction,respectively.A yield increase of 25.2±15.0%,37.5±28.0%,and 75.4±85.0%was found from drainage,agronomy,and mechanical erosion control practices,respectively.The average yield loss by erosion on fields without appropriate land management practice and on conserved fields was 26.5±26.0%and 25±3.7%,respectively.The findings suggest that practices that entail a continuous presence of soil cover during the rainy season,perennial vegetation,retention of moisture,and barriers for sediment transport were most effective at decreasing soil loss and increasing productivity.This review provides evidence to identify the best LMP practices for wider adoption and inform decision-making on LMP investments towards achieving sustainable solutions to reverse land degradation.

Competition for land resources:driving forces and consequences in crop-livestock production systems of the Ethiopian highlands

Introduction:Ethiopia has made efforts to tackle the challenges of low crop and livestock productivity and degradation of land resources through various rural development strategies.However,increasing demands for food,animal feed,fuel,and income-generating activities are putting pressure on the land.In this paper,we describe the production pressure and competition between crop and livestock production,quantify rates of land-use/cover(LULC)changes,and examine driving forces and consequences of land conversion.Methods:The study was conducted in Gudo Beret watershed,North Shewa Zone of Amhara region,Ethiopia.It used a combination of methods including remote sensing,household interviews,field observations,focus group discussions,and key informant interviews.Supervised and unsupervised image classification methods were employed to map LULC classes for 31 years(1984–2016).Results:The results of satellite remote sensing revealed that 51%of the land in the study area was subject to accelerated land conversions.The household survey results indicated that feed resources and grain production pressures were 1.43 and 1.34 t ha^(−1) respectively.The observed annual changes in plantation and settlement areas were 2.6%and 2.9%.This was mainly at the expense of bushland and grazing land systems.Cropland increased(0.4%year^(−1))while grazing land reduced(3.5%year^(−1))under contrasting dynamics and competitive changes.An increase in human and livestock populations and farm expansion were major drivers of land conversion that adversely affected household livelihoods and the natural ecosystem.The consequences of these pressures resulted in a lack of animal feed,low crop-livestock productivity,and a reduction in natural vegetation coverage.Conclusions:We suggest that sustainable land resource management,more integrated crop-livestock production,and the use of productivity-enhancing technologies could play a role in managing competition for land resources.