Status of Soil Quality Under Different Land Use: The Case of Juka Watershed of North-East Wollega, Western Ethiopia

In densely populated area, there is highly degraded land with a lot of dynamics such as, land use land cover change, human activity, and urbanization and other environmental factors in which soil interact within that affect soil quality. The main objective of this study was to identify status of soil quality under different land use at Juka Watershed of North-East Wollega, Western Ethiopia. Totally, 12(3x4) soil samples were collected from three different land uses based on different land use. Soil parameters were analyzed using XL-STAT software version in 2017. Hence, soil texture of the study area were various and pH of soil, % of clay contents, % of silt contents, % of SOM, % of CEC, % of CaCO3, Exchangeable of K and Na+ Cmol/Kg, and av. P mg/l, were higher in FL than others land uses whereas % of sand contents, % of TEA, % of TN and BD g/cm3 were found higher in CL than others land use. Some of soil parameters like % of sand, % of clay, BD g/cm3, pH, %SOM and %TN, %TEA, %CaCO3, av. P, Ex. Na, and % CEC of soil were significant at P<0.05 whereas both Ex. K and percentage of silt contents were insignificant at (p>0.05).

Correlation matrix revealed that BD g/cm3 was strongly and positively significant (p<0.05) with sand (r=0.99). Clay soil was more correlated with %SOM at P<0.05. Both TEA% and %CaCO3 were strongly and negatively significant with pH and BD g/cm3 in respectively. Similarly, all parameters were analyses among and within different land use systems. Therefore, reducing intensity of cultivation, adopting environmental friend of soil fertility management and application of organic fertilizers must maintain and replenish soil quality. Similarly, addition of lime and compost to cultivated land are maintaining quality of soil which make sustainability of production of soil which depends on an environmental health at watershed level.