Land Degradation and Adaptive Mechanism in Northeastern Wollega, Ethiopia
| dc.contributor.advisor | Abegaz, Assefa (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Adugna, Alemayehu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-06-29T06:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-19T12:04:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-06-29T06:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-19T12:04:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-06 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Ethiopia is facing serious land degradation (particularly soil erosion, nutrient depletion and land-use/land cover changes) due to natural and anthropogenic influences. This thesis examines forms and drivers of land degradation and adaptive mechanisms in Northeastern Wollega, Ethiopia. The changes in land-use/land cover were assessed based on time series image processing (from 1972 to 2015). Soil samples were collected from three adjacent soil plots under different land uses (forestland, grazing land and cultivated land) at top and subsoil. Cross-sectional surveys of 200 household heads randomly were selected by two-stage sampling from five farming communities. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and group discussions. The studied land-use/land cover changes exhibited expansion of cropland and settlement at the expense of forest, shrub and grassland from 1972 to 2015. However, since 2005, shrubland and cropland experienced the highest gain and loss, respectively. These transitions were attributed to household size, productivity of cropland, total production of cereals, population growth, slope and agro climatic variations. The soil properties examined generally exhibited significant variations with respect to land-use/land cover changes and soil depths. Sand, silt, organic matter, total N, pH, CEC and Ca2+ content significantly decreased as forestland is converted into cropland/grassland/shrubland. Over all, cropland has the least concentration of soil physical and chemical properties. Results from household survey showed that rural households adapted livelihood diversification in response to problems of land degradation. Livelihood diversification was significantly influenced by sex of household head, household size, farm size and land tenure regimes. Therefore, agricultural policies aimed at encouraging diversification will likely reduce the vulnerability of rural households to land degradation. Greater, diversification may be achieved through the spread and implementation of existing knowledge, income, technology and best practices. Key words: agriculture, sharecropping, cropland expansion, deforestation organic matter, cation exchange capacity | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/4865 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Agriculture | en_US |
| dc.subject | Sharecropping | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cropland Expansion | en_US |
| dc.subject | Deforestation Organic Matter | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cation Exchange Capacity | en_US |
| dc.title | Land Degradation and Adaptive Mechanism in Northeastern Wollega, Ethiopia | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |