An Assessment and Geostatistics of Land-Use and Selected Physico-Chemical Properties of Soils in the Mount Cameroon Area

This work investigated the land-use/land-cover and some physico-chemical properties of the soils of Mt Cameroon and presented same in maps. ArcGIS Pro mapping software, Landsat images, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) coordinates collected from the field combined with updated shape files from competent services were used to produce the location and land-use/land-cover maps. Sixteen topsoil samples (0 - 20 cm) were collected, 4 from each land use/cover category: farmland, forest, plantation and settlement, and analysed for soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density, moisture content and soil texture, in the laboratory using standard analytical procedures. This data was used to produce spatial distribution maps using ordinary kriging, in ArcGIS Pro. The main terrestrial land use/cover categories comprised of the forest (mangrove, lowland, montane and sub-montane), agroforestry, plantations, grassland, settlement, cropland, shrubby savannah, and bare lava. Bulk density showed the highest values in settlement areas and least values under forest land-use categories. Soil moisture content exhibited a reverse trend compared to that of soil bulk density. Forest soils were the sandiest while soils in plantation agricultural land were the most clayey. The soils were slightly acidic to neutral with soils from agricultural land being more acidic (pH(water) = 5.43). It is discernible from the results that the conversion from forest to other land use/cover classes enhances soil degradation and that soil physico-chemical properties adequately serve as indicators of soil quality in the Mt Cameroon area.

Evaluation of the Physical and Chemical Fertility of Soils in the Sylvopastoral Zone: Case of the Pilot Site of the National Institute of Pedology in the Commune of Kelle Gueye (Louga/Senegal)

The study of the reference state of the physico-chemical fertility of the soils of the pilot site of the National Institute of Pedology in the commune of Kelle Gueye to test the effect of phosphocomposte on cowpea and groundnut, allowed us to better understand the aptitudes of the above-mentioned crops. The methodology used consisted of taking soil samples on a regular 25 m grid, carrying out complete physico-chemical analyses at the INP laboratory and an analysis of climatic parameters. The results obtained were used to produce thematic maps to better interpret the various parameters. The physico-chemical analyses at the 0 - 20 cm horizon show a pH (6.1 - 7.9) close to neutral and a non-saline soil (EC < 250 μS/cm). The site is poor in organic matter;it is of the order of 0.1 ≤ MO ≤ 0.9. The granulometric results determined from a laser granulometry which gives more precision, show that the soils have a texture dominated by fine sands with more than 50% in the site. This study reveals that the site is suitable for groundnut and cowpea cultivation. However, some chemical parameters need to be improved to make the soil more fertile.

An open source, server-side framework for analytical web mapping and its application to health

In this paper,we detail the design and the implementation of an open source,server-side web mapping framework for the analysis of health data.The frame-work forms part of a larger project,the goal of which is to provide an analytical web geographical information system(GIS)that enables health experts to analyse spatial aspects of health data.The aim of the framework is to provide a method for the dynamic and flexible spatial visualisation of health data to facilitate data exploration and analysis.Consequently,a dynamic thematic web mapping technique,an extension to the Open Geospatial Consortium(OGC)web map service standard,was developed.The technique combines a data query,processing technique and styling methodology on the fly to generate a thematic map.The resulting thematic map represents a virtual map layer that enables a user to rapidly visually summarise properties of a data-set.A test web interface was developed to assess the efficacy of the web mapping technique.As the dynamic web mapping method builds on existing OGC web mapping standards,it can be readily integrated with the existing lightweight slippy map web clients and virtual globes.