Exploring land use/land cover changes, drivers and their implications in contrasting agro-ecological environments of Ethiopia

Berihun, Mulatu Liyew; Tsunekawa, Atsushi; Haregeweyn, Nigussie; Meshesha, Derege Tsegaye; Adgo, Enyew; Tsubo, Mitsuru; Masunaga, Tsugiyuki; Fenta, Ayele Almaw; Sultan, Dagnenet; Yibeltal, Mesenbet

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104052

Cited by 213 publications

(144 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…These results correspond with the finding of [21], who reported high TN content in native vegetation consisting of leguminous tree species. TN stock of the grazing land was significantly higher (13.11 Mg ha −1 ) in the upper position than in the middle and lower positions (Figure 4d), likely because grazing land in the upper position was recently converted from bushland [40], which may have stored relatively high SOC and TN stocks.…”

Section: Effects Of Land-use Type On Soc and Tn Contents And Stocks Amentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Land Use and Topographic Position on Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Stocks in Different Agro-Ecosystems of the Upper Blue Nile Basin

et al. 2020

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Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) are key ecological indicators of soil quality in a given landscape. Their status, especially in drought-prone landscapes, is associated mainly with the land-use type and topographic position. This study aimed to clarify the effect of land use and topographic position on SOC and TN stocks to further clarify the ecological processes occurring in the landscape. To analyze the status of SOC and TN, we collected 352 composite soil samples from three depths in the uppermost soil (0–50 cm) in four major land-use types (bushland, cropland, grazing land, and plantation) and three topographic positions (upper, middle, and lower) at three sites: Dibatie (lowland), Aba Gerima (midland), and Guder (highland). Both SOC and TN stocks varied significantly across the land uses, topographic positions, and agro-ecosystems. SOC and TN stocks were significantly higher in bushland (166.22 Mg ha−1) and grazing lands (13.11 Mg ha−1) at Guder. The lowest SOC and TN stocks were observed in cropland (25.97 and 2.14 Mg ha−1) at Aba Gerima, which was mainly attributed to frequent and unmanaged plowing and extensive biomass removal. Compared to other land uses, plantations exhibited lower SOC and TN stocks due to poor undergrowth and overexploitation for charcoal and firewood production. Each of the three sites showed distinct characteristics in both stocks, as indicated by variations in the C/N ratios (11–13 at Guder, 10–21 at Aba Gerima, and 15–18 at Dibatie). Overall, land use was shown to be an important factor influencing the SOC and TN stocks, both within and across agro-ecosystems, whereas the effect of topographic position was more pronounced across agro-ecosystems than within them. Specifically, Aba Gerima had lower SOC and TN stocks due to prolonged cultivation and unsustainable human activities, thus revealing the need for immediate land management interventions, particularly targeting croplands. In a heterogeneous environment such as the Upper Blue Nile basin, proper understanding of the interactions between land use and topographic position and their effect on SOC and TN stock is needed to design proper soil management practices.

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Section: Effects Of Land-use Type On Soc and Tn Contents And Stocks Amentioning

confidence: 99%

“…agro-ecosystems and severe land degradation. Although soil and water conservation practices have been used since the 1980s [38], a reduction in vegetation cover [39,40] and soil erosion induced by poor land-use management have become major challenges for ensuring food security [36].…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Land Use and Topographic Position on Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Stocks in Different Agro-Ecosystems of the Upper Blue Nile Basin

et al. 2020

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“…Despite the higher amount of rainfall, Guder has had less exposure to soil erosion problems, which could be attributable to the unprecedented expansion of A. decurrens plantations across the watershed in the past decade [49]. The plantations might have helped the watershed by restoring the ecosystem of degraded hillsides and intercepting rainfall [68]. In addition, the contribution of agroforestry to rural livelihood resilience was noted in Quandt et al [69], who showed the contribution of agroforestry in response to the impacts of climate-related hazards like drought and flooding.…”

Section: Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The water component comprised consistent water access, water resource conflict, and average time to fetch water. Guder was relatively better off than the other two watersheds, and its lower sensitivity score might be associated with recent improvements in its broader ecosystem, and the presence of A. decurrens plantations and other sustainable land management activities [48,49,68]. Excessive extraction of water for irrigating khat farmlands could serve as a potential point of conflict among downstream and upstream farmers.…”

Section: Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Communities’ Livelihood Vulnerability to Climate Variability in Ethiopia

et al. 2019

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Ethiopia has experienced more than 10 major drought episodes since the 1970s. Evidence has shown that climate change exacerbates the situation and presents a daunting challenge to predominantly rain-fed agricultural livelihoods. The aim of this study was to analyze the extent and sources of smallholder famers’ livelihood vulnerability to climate change/variability in the Upper Blue Nile basin. We conducted a household survey (n = 391) across three distinct agroecological communities and a formative composite index of livelihood vulnerability (LVI) was constructed. The Mann–Kendall test and the standard precipitation index (SPI) were employed to analyze trends of rainfall, temperature, and drought prevalence for the period from 1982 to 2016. The communities across watersheds showed a relative difference in the overall livelihood vulnerability index. Aba Gerima (midland) was found to be more vulnerable, with a score of 0.37, while Guder (highland) had a relatively lower LVI with a 0.34 index score. Given similar exposure to climate variability and drought episodes, communities’ livelihood vulnerability was mainly attributed to their low adaptive capacity and higher sensitivity indicators. Adaptive capacity was largely constrained by a lack of participation in community-based organizations and a lack of income diversification. This study will have practical implications for policy development in heterogeneous agroecological regions for sustainable livelihood development and climate change adaptation programs.

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“…Zhong and Le studied rural residential areas in mountainous areas and plain areas, respectively, and the results showed that the layout of rural residential areas was characterized by large aggregation and small dispersion, and was influenced by topography, landform, road, and river. (2) Spatial layout evolution and driving mechanisms [15][16][17][18][19]. Hai et al analyzed the evolution characteristics of the scale structure, spatial distribution, and morphological structure of rural residential areas in Gongyi, Henan Province, from 1990 to 2010, and explored the influence of terrain factors, location factors, and social and economic factors on the development and change of rural residential areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suitability Evaluation and Layout Optimization of the Spatial Distribution of Rural Residential Areas

et al. 2020

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A reasonable layout optimization strategy of rural residential areas can improve the quality of life of rural residents and promote rural revitalization. Evaluating the suitability of rural residential areas is the basis of layout optimization. Based on 1:100,000 land cover data and a digital elevation model (30 m) for the Henan Province, China, we used the minimum cumulative resistance model to evaluate the spatial distribution suitability of rural settlements in the Zhengzhou administrative area (abbreviated: Zhengzhou). Then, we used a weighted Voronoi diagram to determine the scope of influence of central villages and determined the direction of relocation for the “combined migration” rural residential areas. The study results support the following conclusions: (1) the comprehensive resistance value of rural residential areas in the Northeastern part of Zhengzhou is low and the suitability is high. However, the comprehensive resistance value of the Southwestern part is high and the suitability is low. (2) The study area can be divided into highly suitable areas, suitable areas, generally suitable areas, unsuitable areas, and extremely unsuitable areas. Unsuitable areas and extremely unsuitable areas accounted for 33.66% of the total area and included 662 rural residential areas. (3) The rural residential areas were divided into four types of optimization: urbanization, key development, controlled development, and combined migration. Based on an analysis of the characteristics of each type of rural residential area, we proposed corresponding optimization strategies. The results remedy the lack of layout optimization strategies for large-scale rural residential areas and can provide support for the optimization of the layout of rural residential areas in Zhengzhou. Furthermore, the research techniques may apply to other regions.

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Exploring land use/land cover changes, drivers and their implications in contrasting agro-ecological environments of Ethiopia

Cited by 213 publications

References 49 publications

Effects of Land Use and Topographic Position on Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Stocks in Different Agro-Ecosystems of the Upper Blue Nile Basin

Effects of Land Use and Topographic Position on Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Stocks in Different Agro-Ecosystems of the Upper Blue Nile Basin

Communities’ Livelihood Vulnerability to Climate Variability in Ethiopia

Suitability Evaluation and Layout Optimization of the Spatial Distribution of Rural Residential Areas

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