An assessment of the variation of soil properties with landscape attributes in the highlands of Cameroon
| Autor: | John C. Weber, Ermias Aynekulu, José Antonio Rodríguez Martín, Bertin Takoutsing, Keith D. Shepherd, Andrew Sila |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Soil depth
Soil Science 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 010501 environmental sciences Development 01 natural sciences Variation (linguistics) Land use types Topographic position 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental Chemistry Environmental science Soil properties Slope gradients Physical geography 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science |
| Zdroj: | Repositorio de Resultados de Investigación del INIA Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria INIA INIA: Repositorio de Resultados de Investigación del INIA |
| Popis: | Soil properties are useful for assessing the potential of landscapes to provide terrestrial ecosystem services, but they are affected by anthropogenic activities and environmental factors including landscape attributes. This study assessed how soil properties are influenced by landscape attributes and their interactions in the highlands of Cameroon using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework as a data collection tool. Soil properties (soil organic carbon [SOC], clay content, exchangeable bases [ExBas], electric conductivity [EC], boron [B], manganese [Mn], phosphorus [P], pH) were quantified within classes of landscape attributes. Soil samples were collected on 160 (1,000 m2) plots randomly located in a sentinel site of 100 km2 and were analyzed using a combination of conventional laboratory methods and midinfrared spectroscopy. Soil properties were highly affected by soil depths, land use types, slope gradients, and topographic positions, but less by their interactions. Significant interactions existed between land use types and topographic positions for SOC, EC, ExBas, and pH, and between slope gradients and topographic positions for pH, whereas Mn was influenced by the interaction between land use types and slope gradients. Most soil properties were higher in low altitude plots and those with higher vegetation cover but decreased in the upslope direction. The pH and clay contents were less affected by slope gradient confirming the inherent nature of the properties. These results are useful for site‐specific implementation of ecological intensification in areas with complex topography such as the highlands of Cameroon, offering a reference for future ecological policies and landscape restoration. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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