Soil erosion and conservation in West Africa

Lal, Ram A.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511735394.003

Cited by 53 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…Wind erosion is a major contributor to desertification (United Nations Environment Program 1997), particularly in the Sahel region of West Africa (Lal 1993). Topsoil, which typically contains more nutrients than subsoil, is detached and removed from arable land by wind.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Fallow Band System,” a land management practice for controlling desertification and improving crop production in the Sahel, West Africa. 1. Effectiveness in desertification control and soil fertility improvement

Ikazaki

Shinjo

Tanaka

et al. 2011

Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

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Wind erosion is a major contributor to desertification in the Sahel. Although three effective countermeasures for wind erosion (i.e. ridging, mulching with post-harvest crop residue, and windbreaks) have been proposed, they are not practical for Sahelian farmers. Therefore, we designed a new land management practice, termed the ''Fallow Band System,'' which can be used for both controlling wind erosion and improving soil fertility and crop production. This method does not impose additional expense and labor requirements on Sahelian farmers who are economically challenged and have limited manpower. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of this system on wind-erosion control and soil-fertility improvement. We conducted field experiments at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics West and Central Africa and showed that (i) a fallow band can capture 74% of wind-blown soil particles and 58% of wind-blown coarse organic matter, which suggests that it can effectively control wind erosion, (ii) the amount of soil nutrients available for crops in a former fallow band was increased by the decomposition of trapped soil materials containing considerable amounts of nutrients, and (iii) the amount of soil water available for crops in a former fallow band was increased by the trapped wind-blown soil materials through improvement of rainwater infiltration into surface soil. These results lead to the conclusion that the ''Fallow Band System'' can be useful for preventing desertification and improving soil fertility in the Sahel, West Africa.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Fallow Band System,” a land management practice for controlling desertification and improving crop production in the Sahel, West Africa. 1. Effectiveness in desertification control and soil fertility improvement

Ikazaki

Shinjo

Tanaka

et al. 2011

Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

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“…Additionally, Nakamura et al (2010) have published work on the depletion of soil organic matter as a result of cultivation and its recovery through the application of organic amendment. However, nothing in the literature deals systematically with the effects of wind erosion, the primary cause of desertification in the Sahel region (Lal 1993), on soil fertility. Therefore, this topic is the focus of the current paper.…”

Section: Preface -The Least Developed Countries In the Southern Saharmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As described above, wind erosion is thought to be the main cause of desertification in the Sahel region (Lal 1993). To explain wind erosion in simple terms, it is a phenomenon where the topsoil of a field is removed by a strong wind (Fig.…”

Section: The Outline Of the Desertification In The Sahel Region -The mentioning

confidence: 99%

Desertification and a new countermeasure in the Sahel, West Africa

Ikazaki

2015

Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

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“…In the West African Savannah in northern Ghana, soil loss rates have been measured at between 0.9 and 6.2 t ha -1 yr -1 with slopes of only one to two per cent (Bonsu & Obeng, 1979;Bonsu, 1985;Asiamah & Antwi, 1988) whereas Lal (1993) indicated soil loss rates between 10 and 50 t ha -1 yr -1 in Nigeria and Ivory Coast. While rates of erosion are low as compared to East Africa, the effect on soil productivity is considered to be substantial due to the soil characteristics.…”

Section: Studies Of Soil Erosion In the East Africanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of the USLE in a Savannah Environment: Comparative Experiences from East and West Africa

Mati

Veihe

2001

Singap J Trop Geogr

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The use of empirical models for predicting erosion hazard in Africa is widespread. One of the most commonly used models is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). This paper explores the applicability of the USLE in the East and West African Savannah environments, using both primary and secondary data. The results show that the USLE can be applied to Savannah conditions if some level of instrumentation is provided to enable model calibration and validation. The rainfall erosivity factor (R) is one variable which is calculated differently in both the East and the West African Savannah, reflecting differences in the storm characteristics between the two regions. The soil erodibility factor (K) is applied to cultivated soils with relatively high organic matter but does not adequately predict soil loss if the soils have large quantities of stone cover or if they exhibit surface sealing properties. The topographic factors (LS) are transferable, but in some parts of the Savannah, very steep slopes are cultivated, limiting the accuracy of the LS factor. The crop and management factor (C) is applicable for single stand crops, but more studies are required to develop C factors for multiple cropping and rangelands as these are more prevalent in the Savannah. The conservation practices factors (P) as described in the USLE routines do not adequately cater for soil conservation structures found in Africa, such as trash lines and stone lines. Thus, local indices need to be developed. In general, the USLE tends to underestimate soil erosion in East Africa while overestimating it in the West African Savannah. User-friendly Geographical Information Systems (GIS) applications that depict the uncertainty of model estimates should be explored in the future.

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Soil erosion and conservation in West Africa

Cited by 53 publications

References 0 publications

“Fallow Band System,” a land management practice for controlling desertification and improving crop production in the Sahel, West Africa. 1. Effectiveness in desertification control and soil fertility improvement

“Fallow Band System,” a land management practice for controlling desertification and improving crop production in the Sahel, West Africa. 1. Effectiveness in desertification control and soil fertility improvement

Desertification and a new countermeasure in the Sahel, West Africa

Application of the USLE in a Savannah Environment: Comparative Experiences from East and West Africa

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