Spatio-temporal variation and propagation direction of coal fire in Jharia Coalfield,India by satellite-based multi-temporal night-time land surface temperature imaging

In this paper,the spatio-temporal variation and propagation direction of coal fire were studied in the Jharia Coalfield(JCF),India during 2006–2015 through satellite-based night-time land surface temperature(LST)imaging.The LST was retrieved from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer(ASTER)night-time thermal-infrared data by a robust split-window algorithm based on scene-specific regression coefficients,band-specific hybrid emissivity,and night-time atmospheric transmittance.The LST-profile-based coal fire detection algorithm was formulated through statistical analysis of the LST values along multiple transects across diverse coal fire locations in the JCF in order to compute date-specific threshold temperatures for separating thermally-anomalous and background pixels.This algorithm efficiently separates surface fire,subsurface fire,and thermally-anomalous transitional pixels.During the observation period,it was noticed that the coal fire area increased significantly,which resulted from new coal fire at many places owing to extensive opencast-mining operations.It was observed that the fire propagation occurred primarily along the dip direction of the coal seams.At places,lateral-propagation of limited spatial extent was also observed along the strike direction possibly due to spatial continuity of the coal seams along strike.Moreover,the opencast-mining activities carried out during 2009–2015 and the structurally weak planes facilitated the fire propagation.

Vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in an aquic brown soil under different land uses

The vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in the depth of 0-150 cm of an aquic brown soil were studied under 14 years of four land use patterns, i.e., paddy field, maize field, fallow field and woodland in Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in November of 2003. The results showed that different land uses had different profile distributions of soil total nitrogen (STN), alkali N, ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3--N). The sequence of STN storage was woodland >maize field > fallow field > paddy field, while that of NO3--N content was maize field > paddy field > woodland > fallow field, suggesting the different root biomass and biological N cycling under various land uses. The STN storage in the depth of 0-100 cm of woodland averaged to 11.41 thm-1, being 1.65 and 1.25 times as much as that in paddy and maize fields, respec-tively, while there was no significant difference between maize and fallow fields. The comparatively higher amount of NO3--N in maize and paddy fields may be due to nitrogen fertilization and anthropogenic disturbance. Soil alkali N was significantly related with STN, and the correlation could be expressed by a linear regression model under each land use (R20.929, p<0.001). Such a correlation was slightly closer in nature (woodland and fallow field) than in agro ecosystems (paddy and maize fields). Heavy N fertilization induced an excess of crop need, and led to a comparatively higher amount of soil NO3--N in cultivated fields than in fallow field and woodland. It is suggested that agroforestry practices have the potential to make a significant contribution to both crop production and environment protection.

Seasonal variation of nitrogen-concentration in the surface water and its relationship with land use in a catchment of northern China

Surface waters can be contaminated by human activities in two ways: (1) by point sources, such as sewage treatment discharge and storm-water runoff; and (2) by non-point sources, such as runoff from urban and agricultural areas. With point-source pollution effectively controlled, non-point source pollution has become the most important environmental concern in the world. The formation of non-point source pollution is related to both the sources such as soil nutrient, the amount of fertilizer and pesticide applied, the amount of refuse, and the spatial complex combination of land uses within a heterogeneous landscape. Land-use change, dominated by human activities, has a significant impact on water resources and quality. In this study, fifteen surface water monitoring points in the Yuqiao Reservoir Basin, Zunhua, Hebei Province, northern China, were chosen to study the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water. Water samples were collected in low-flow period(June), high-flow period(July) and mean-flow period(October) from 1999 to 2000. The results indicated that the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water among the fifteen monitoring points in the rainfall-rich year is more complex than that in the rainfall-deficit year. It was found that the land use, the characteristics of the surface river system, rainfall, and human activities play an important role in the seasonal variation of N-concentration in surface water.

Spatio-temporal evolution of ecologically-sustainable land use in China's Loess Plateau and detection of its influencing factors

Ecological land(Eco-land) is a basic resource for human beings to survive, and eco-land use is a strategy, a way to manage the land resource. So, ecologically-sustainable land use is essential for human beings to survive. This paper investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics and mechanisms of urban-rural eco-land using a new and innovative integration way based on eco-land change data in China's Loess Plateau(LP) prefecture level cities and explores factors of eco-land change. The spatial difference characteristic of eco-land among different level cities in the LP is that: small cities > big cities > middle cities. From 2009 to 2016, the eco-land in the LP from the perspective of urban-rural areas has changed significantly. Significant differences of urban-rural eco-land were identified among various urban growth types, and all the cities in the LP were further classified into four types based on eco-land change trend, with type A and B cities identified as the vital zone and major zone. Taking the eco-fragile region Loess Plateau(LP) as an example, our results demonstrated that the migrants to cities in LP could relieve ecological pressures and promote restoration of ecological vegetation. We have demonstrated that urbanization and the influence of government policy can be discerned through the quantification of the spatial-temporal change of eco-land and suggest that combining both urban and rural eco-land can support more effective land use decisions and provide theoretical basis for the practical application of urban planning, policy-making and sustainable development. What's more, governments should strive to population mobility and restore vegetation to sustain this fragile ecological environment.

Analysis of Characteristics of Spatio-temporal Evolution of Land Use in Inhabited Islands of Pearl River Estuary

Under the support of the remote sensing and geographical information system(GIS) techniques,we acquire the land use data in 1990 and 2008 regarding 6 inhabited islands,namely Longxue Island,Hengmen Island,Weiyuan Island,Qi'ao Island,Hengqin Island and Gaolan Island in Pearl River Estuary.By using dynamic degree of land use,land use change intensity,relative change rate and other indicators,we conduct quantitative description,and thus quantitatively and qualitatively analyse characteristics of temporal evolution and law of spatial pattern change concerning land use of each island.The study indicates that in the period 1990-2008,the area of construction land and water in 6 islands increased,while the area of agricultural land and unused land increased in some islands and decreased in others.The land use change shows spatial disparity;the holistic land use change degree in Hengmen Island is higher than that of other islands;the dynamic degree of land use,intensity of land use,and relative change rate differ in different islands.

Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Changes of Land Usein Xuzhou City Based on Remote Sensing

Based on the satellite remote sensing TM/ETM images of Xuzhou city, basic data about land use of the city from 1994 to 2000 are obtained with the neural network classification module of PCI software, and the dynamic con- version matrix of land use is thus calculated. The areas of construction land and water body have increased by 1833.93 hm2 and 804.87 hm2, respectively. On the contrary, the area of cropland has decreased by 3207.24 hm2. The area of cropland converted into construction land makes up 26.84%, and that converted into water body amounts for 8.17% of the total area of cropland in 1994. The variation index of land use degree and the dynamic degree index of land use computed are 1.38 and 57.81%, respectively, which demonstrate that land use in Xuzhou is in a development period and the changes are drastic. The frequency index and importance index of the form in which cropland converted into con- struction land are 29.91% and 68.93% respectively. The results indicate that the change is not only widespread in space but a major form of spatial change of land use in the area.

Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use in the Bouba Ndjidda National Park and Its Adjacent Zone (North Cameroun)

We evaluated the dynamics of land use in the Bouba Ndjidda National Park (BNNP) and adjacent areas, in northern Cameroon. Using a maximum likelihood supervised classification of satellite images from 1990 to 2016, coupled with field and a socio-economic survey, we performed a robust land-use classification. Between 1990 and 2016, the area included eight classes of land use, with the largest in 1990 being the woody savannah (42.9%) followed by the gallery forest (20.2%) and the clear forest (16.3%). Between 1990 and 1999, the gallery forest lost 64.8% of its area mostly to the benefit of woody savannahs. Between 1999 and 2016, the largest loss of area was that of the clear forest, which decreased generally by 43.2% in favor of woody savannah. Rates of increase of crop field areas were 59.6% and 78.8% respectively for the periods of 1990 to 1999 and 1999 to 2016 to the detriment of woody savannahs. We attribute the changes in land use observed mainly to the increasing human population and associated agriculture, overgrazing, fuelwood harvesting and bush fires. The exploitation of non-timber forest products and climatic factors may also have changed the vegetation cover. We recommend the implementation of farming techniques with low impact on the environment such as agroforestry.

The Spatial and Temporal Variation Characteristics of CH₄and CO₂Emission Flux under Different Land Use Types in the Yellow River Delta Wetland

The Yellow River Delta Wetland is one of the youngest wetlands, and also the most complete, extensive wetlands in China. The wetland in this delta is ecologically important due to their hydrologic attributes and their roles as ecotones between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In the study, the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of CH4 and CO2 emission flux under five kinds of land use types in the wetland were investigated. The results indicated that the greenhouse gas emission flux, especially the CO2 and CH4, showed distinctly spatial and temporal variation under different land use types in the wetland. In the spring, the emission flux of CO2 was higher than that of CO2 in the autumn, and appeared negative in HW3 and HW4 in the autumn. CH4 emission flux of HW4 and HW5 was negative in the spring and autumn, which indicated that the CH4 emission process was net absorption. Among the five kinds of land use types, the CO2 emission flux of HW4 discharged the largest emission flux reaching 29.3 mg.m-2.h-1, but the CH4 emission flux of HW2 discharged the largest emission flux reaching 0.15 mg.m-2.h-1. From the estuary to the inland, the emission flux of CO2 was decreased at first and then appeared increasing trend, but the emission flux of CH4 was contrary to CO2.

Analysis on the Spatio-Temporal Changes of Sustainable Land Use in Tibet

By constructing evaluation indicator system of sustainable land use of Tibet from three aspects of ecological environment, economic development, resources and social advancement, this article studies the following contents respectively in two dimensions of time and space： the changes of sustainable land use of Tibet in recent 20 years and spatial characteristics of sustainable land use of Tibet in 2002. The following conclusions can be drawn from evaluation results .① With regard to com- prehensive evaluation value of sustainable land use, the trend of Tibet sustainable land use evaluation values from 1983 to 2002 are very close to the comprehensive evaluation values of ecological environment, which is up trend; ② sustainable utilization degree of land use in eastern region of Tibet is much higher than that of western region. ③ the sustainable land use evaluation value of Nyingtri County is the highest, and the counties with relatively higher land sustainable use values include Lhasa, Lhoka, Chamdo. While Nakchu, Ngari, Shigatse counties have the relatively lower evaluation values; ④ By analyzing each evaluation indicator＇s weight on sustainable land use, it can be concluded that the key limiting factors of sustainable Tibet land resource utilization are land desertification, grassland degradation and low economic level.

Dynamic Variation of Land-use Types of the Constructed Wetland before and after Oil-field Water Irrigation Based on 3S Technology

[Objective] The study aimed at analyzing the dynamic variation of land-use types of the constructed wetland before and after oil-field water irrigation based on 3S technology. [Method] At semi-arid and arid areas in the west of Jilin Province, water resource balance between the amount of oil-field water supply and ecological water requirement in the constructed wetland irrigated by oil-field water during 2001-2010 was investigated firstly. Afterwards, based on 3S technology, the partition and dynamic variation of land-use types of the constructed wetland before and after oil-field water irrigation in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2010 were analyzed. [Result] The annual ecological water requirement of the constructed wetland from 2003 to 2010 varied from 1.62×106 to 2.24×106 m3, and the annual amount of oil-field water supply in the region changed from 2.12×106 to 2.84×106 m3, which showed that the supply amount of oil-field water could meet the basic ecological water requirement of the constructed wetland. Meanwhile, compared with 2001, the areas of water region and paddy field in 2010 increased by 2.3 and 10.0 times, and the areas of forest and marsh rose by 40.15% and 29.5.0% respectively. [Conclusion] Water shortage and ecological environment problem of arid and semi-arid areas had been improved by oil-field water irrigation.

Response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities in the Shiyang River Basin of China during 2001-2022

Understanding the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities is critical for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment,and maintaining ecosystem stability.Here,we aimed to identify the determining factors of vegetation variation and explore the sensitivity of vegetation to temperature(SVT)and the sensitivity of vegetation to precipitation(SVP)in the Shiyang River Basin(SYRB)of China during 2001-2022.The climate data from climatic research unit(CRU),vegetation index data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS),and land use data from Landsat images were used to analyze the spatial-temporal changes in vegetation indices,climate,and land use in the SYRB and its sub-basins(i.e.,upstream,midstream,and downstream basins)during 2001-2022.Linear regression analysis and correlation analysis were used to explore the SVT and SVP,revealing the driving factors of vegetation variation.Significant increasing trends(P<0.05)were detected for the enhanced vegetation index(EVI)and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)in the SYRB during 2001-2022,with most regions(84%)experiencing significant variation in vegetation,and land use change was determined as the dominant factor of vegetation variation.Non-significant decreasing trends were detected in the SVT and SVP of the SYRB during 2001-2022.There were spatial differences in vegetation variation,SVT,and SVP.Although NDVI and EVI exhibited increasing trends in the upstream,midstream,and downstream basins,the change slope in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins,the SVT in the upstream basin was higher than those in the midstream and downstream basins,and the SVP in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins.Temperature and precipitation changes controlled vegetation variation in the upstream and midstream basins while human activities(land use change)dominated vegetation variation in the downstream basin.We concluded that there is a spatial heterogeneity in the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities across different sub-basins of the SYRB.These findings can enhance our understanding of the relationship among vegetation variation,climate change,and human activities,and provide a reference for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment in the arid inland river basins.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Real Integrated Land Productivity of Yunnan Province

Taking Yunnan Province as an example,this paper calculated the real integrated land productivity(RILP)of 16 prefectures(cities)in Yunnan Province for the past 11 years(2009-2019),and analyzed its spatial distribution pattern.The research results show that the RILP of the whole Yunnan Province and all prefectures(cities)showed a slow upward trend.Among them,the province's RILP showed the highest increase in 2019 compared with the previous year;the RILP of all prefectures(cities)in Yunnan Province has significant spatial autocorrelation,showing obvious positive spatial agglomeration characteristics.Based on this,this paper proposes to improve the overall RILP in various regions according to local conditions and formulate countermeasures for coordinated development of various prefectures(cities).

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Soil Nitrogen Distribution under Different Land Uses in a Watershed in the Hilly Area of Purple Soil,China

Quantification of soil spatial and temporal variability at watershed scale is important in ecological modeling, precision agriculture, and natural resources management. The spatio-temporal variations of soil nitrogen under different land uses in a small watershed （12.10 km^2） in the hilly area of purple soil at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in southwestern China were investigated by using conventional statistics, geostatistics, and a geographical information system in order to provide information for land management and control of environmental issues. A total of 552 soil samples （o to 15 cm） from 276 sites within the watershed were collected in April and August of 2o11, and analyzed for soil total nitrogen （STN） and nitrate nitrogen （NO3-N）. We compared spatial variations of STN and NO3-N under different land uses as well as the temporal variations in April （dry season） and August （rainy season）. Results showed that STN contents were deeply affected by land-use types; median STN values ranged from 0.94to 1.27g.kg-I, and STN contents decreased in the following order： paddy field 〉 foresfland 〉 sloping cropland. No significant difference was found for STN contents between April and August under the same land use. However, NO3- N contents were 23.26, 10.58, and 26.19 mg·kg^-1 in April, and 1.34, 8.51, and 3.00 mg·kg^-1 in August for the paddy field, sloping cropland and forestland, respectively. Nugget ratios for STN indicatedmoderate spatial dependence in the paddy field and sloping cropland, and a strong spatial dependence in forestland. The processes of nitrogen movement, transformation, absorption of plant were deeply influenced by land use types; as a result, great changes of soil nitrogen levels at spatial and temporal scales were demonstrated in the studied watershed.

Land use change in Bohai Rim: a spatial-temporal analysis

Based on RS and GIS methods, land use information for 1985 and 1995 was acquired from TM images and analyzed. Then on both spatial and temporal aspects, this paper analyzes land use change in three provinces of Hebei, Shandong and Liaoning and two municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin in the Bohai Rim covering the period of 1985 to 1995. The extent, rate, areal difference and trend of various types of land use changes in the region, as well as spatial changes of major types of land use, their distribution characteristics and regional orientation are revealed. The regional characteristics of land use are elaborated, so as to provide effective policy support for sustainable land use in the area around the Bohai Bay.

Spatio-temporal distribution of vegetation index and its influencing factors——a case study of the Jiaozhou Bay, China

The coastal zone is an area characterized by intense interaction between land and sea, high sensitivity to regional environmental changes, and concentrated human activities. Little research has investigated vegetation cover changes in coastal zones resulting from climate change and land-use change, with a lack of knowledge about the driving mechanism. Normalized diff erence vegetation index(NDVI) can be used as an indicator for change of the coastal environment. In this study, we analyzed the interannual changes and spatial distribution of NDVI in the coastal zone around Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao, a coastal city undergoing rapid urbanization in northeast China. The underlying causes of NDVI variations were discussed in the context of climate change and land-use change. Results showed that the spatio-temporal distribution of NDVI displayed high spatial variability in the study area and showed a typical trend of gradually increasing from coastal to inland regions. The significant increase area of NDVI was mainly found in newly added construction land, extending along the coastline towards the inland. Land vegetation cover demonstrated a certain response relationship to sea-land climate change and land-based activities. The impact of land-based human activities was slightly greater than that of sea-land climate change for land vegetation cover. The results indicate that promoting ecological policies can build an ecological security framework of vegetation suitable for the resource characteristics of coastal cities. The framework will buf fer the negative ef fects of sea-land climate change and land-based human activities on vegetation cover and thereby achieve the balance of regional development and ecological benefits in the coastal zone.

Relationship between spatio-temporal evolution of soil pH and geological environment/surface cover in the eastern Nenjiang River Basin of Northeast China during the past 30 years

To illuminate the spatio-temporal variation characteristics and geochemical driving mechanism of soil pH in the Nenjiang River Basin,the National Multi-objective Regional Geochemical Survey data of topsoil,the Second National Soil Survey data and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)were analyzed.The areas of neutral and alkaline soil decreased by 21100 km^(2)and 30500 km^(2),respectively,while that of strongly alkaline,extremely alkaline,and strongly acidic soil increased by 19600 km^(2),18200 km^(2),and 15500 km^(2),respectively,during the past 30 years.NDVI decreased with the increase of soil pH when soil pH>8.0,and it was reversed when soil pH<5.0.There were significant differences in soil pH with various surface cover types,which showed an ascending order:Arbor<reed<maize<rice<high and medium-covered meadow<low-covered meadow<Puccinellia.The weathering products of minerals rich in K_(2)O,Na_(2)O,CaO,and MgO entered into the low plain and were enriched in different parts by water transportation and lake deposition,while Fe and Al remained in the low hilly areas,which was the geochemical driving mechanism.The results of this study will provide scientific basis for making scientific and rational decisions on soil acidification and salinization.

Long-term variations in runoff of the Syr Darya River Basin under climate change and human activities

In this study,we analyzed the hydrological and meteorological data from the Syr Darya River Basin during the period of 1930–2015 to investigate variations in river runoff and the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff.The Syr Darya River,which is supplied by snow and glacier meltwater upstream,is an important freshwater source for Central Asia,as nearly half of the population is concentrated in this area.River runoff in this arid region is sensitive to climate change and human activities.Therefore,estimation of the climatic and hydrological changes and the quantification of the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff are of great concern and important for regional water resources management.The long-term trends of hydrological time series from the selected 11 hydrological stations in the Syr Darya River Basin were examined by non-parametric methods,including the Pettitt change point test and Mann-Kendall trend tests.It was found that 8 out of 11 hydrological stations showed significant downward trends in river runof f.Change of river runoff variations occurred in the year around 1960.Moreover,during the study period(1930–2015),annual mean temperature,annual precipitation,and annual potential evapotranspiration in the river basin increased substantially.We employed hydrological sensitivity method to evaluate the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration.It was estimated that human activities accounted for over 82.6%–98.7%of the reduction in river runoff,mainly owing to water withdrawal for irrigation purpose.The observed variations in river runoff can subsequently lead to adverse ecological consequences from an ecological and regional water resources management perspective.

Effect of land-use and land-cover change on nutrients in soil in Bashang area,China

The Bashang area is a water source area and ecological barrier zone for Beijing and Tianjin. The area is located at 200 km from Beijing and Tianjin and is a typical agriculture pasture interlacing zone, in which the eco environment is vulnerable and hence it is sensitive to environmental change. The area is relatively lagged in social and economic development, where the traditional cultivation mode is predominated in agriculture and animal husbandry, but the disturbance by human activity is relatively small. Therefore, in order to reveal the interrelation between eco environmental change in the area and environmental change in Beijing and Tianjin area, it is fairly necessary to study the effect of land use and land cover change on nutrients in soil in this area. According to the actual situation of changed land use for the limited time period, five series of changed land plots were selected and 4 samples were collected from each series for the study. The samples were collected from different soil forming levels at the same site in different time. Analysis of the collected samples indicates that in the process of change of land use and land cover, the nutrients in soil, such as organic matter, total N, total P, total K, and available N, P, K, and B, Mo, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe, have regularly changed. When the land had changed from grassland and non irrigated farmland into woodland, and from non irrigated farmland into irrigated field, the nutrients in soil totally increased. But there exists some exception, i.e. quick acting N, P, K, and some microelements have appeared to be inconsistent with the mentioned above regularity in some cases.

Hydrological Response to Climate and Land Use Changes in the Dry–Warm Valley of the Upper Yangtze River

The hydrological process in the dry–warm valley of the mountainous area of southwest China has unique characteristics and has attracted scientific attention worldwide.Given that this is an area with fragile ecosystems and intensive water resource conflicts in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River,a systematic identification of its hydrological responses to climate and land use variations needs to be performed.In this study,MIKE SHE was employed and calibrated for the Anning River Basin in the dry–warm valley.Subsequently,a deep learning neural network model of the long short-term memory(LSTM)and a traditional multi-model ensemble mean(MMEM)method were used for an ensemble of 31 global climate models(GCMs)for climate projection.The cellular automata–Markov model was implemented to project the spatial pattern of land use considering climatic,social,and economic conditions.Four sets of climate projections and three sets of land use projections were generated and fed into the MIKE SHE to project hydrologic responses from 2021 to 2050.For the calibration and first validation periods of the daily simulation,the coefficients of determination(R)were 0.85 and 0.87 and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values were 0.72 and 0.73,respectively.The advanced LSTM performed better than the traditional MMEM method for daily temperature and monthly precipitation.The average monthly temperature projection under representative concentration pathway 8.5(RCP8.5)was expected to be slightly higher than that under RCP4.5;this is contrary to the average monthly precipitation from June to October.The variations in streamflow and actual evapotranspiration(ET)were both more sensitive to climate change than to land use change.There was no significant relationship between the variations in streamflow and the ET in the study area.This work could provide general variation conditions and a range of hydrologic responses to complex and changing environments,thereby assisting with stochastic uncertainty and optimizing water resource management in critical regions.

Assessing the Effects of Land-Use and Land Cover Change and Topography on Soil Fertility in Melka Wakena Catchment of Sub-Upper Wabe-Shebelle Watershed, South Eastern Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Melka Wakena catchment;south eastern Ethiopia to assess land use/cover change (LULCC) and topographic elevation effect on selected soil quality/fertility parameters. 144 soil samples collected from 0 - 30 cm depth under three land cover types across three elevation gradients were analysed for selected soil quality/fertility parameters. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons were made using Least Significant Difference (LSD). The soil properties examined generally showed significant variations with respect to land-use/land cover changes and elevation. Soil particles, soil organic carbon, total N, pH, available phosphorus, potassium and calcium content significantly decreased as forestland is converted into cropland/grassland. Heaviest soil deterioration was recorded in soils under cropland and followed by grassland soils. The conversion of natural forest to different land uses without proper soil conservation and management practices resulted in the overall decline of soil fertility quality. Thus, integrated land resource management approach is indispensable for sustaining agricultural productivity and the environmental health of the Melka Waken a catchment.