Abstract:
Land degradation in Ethiopia is a serious constraints and causes for soil fertility depletion and results low production of the agricultural sector. This study investigated the effects of different land use types and conservation practice on selected soil physico-chemical properties. The experiment was laid out in the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three land uses (grazing land, cultivated land and plantation forest) and two conservation practices (conserved and unconserved) that is a total of 18 composite soil samples (0-20 depth) were taken. For data analysis, the GLM procedure of SAS version 9.4 was used. The results of the study revealed that there was relative variation in proportion of clay, sand and silt content among the land use types though they have the same textural class. The bulk density of the soils decreased from grazing to cultivated and then to forest land, while total porosity decreased from forest to cultivated and then to grazing lands. The soil pH value of the area varied from acidic to moderately acidic (5.31-6.27). The higher mean values of clay (45.38%), porosity (53.36%), OM (4.01%), Ca+2(20.88 cmolc/kg), Mg+2(8.20 cmolc/kg), and PBS (86.28%) were recorded in the plantation forest. In contrast, the mean values of sand (35.33%) were higher in grazing land. The higher values of silt (32.61%), BD (1.46 g/cm3) and Ava.P (13.91 ppm) were recorded under unconserved cultivated land. The higher pH (6.03.), TN (0.13%), CEC (31.05cmolc/kg) and K+ (0.62 cmolc/kg), values were recorded under conserved grazing land. From this study, it can be concluded that the soil fertility and quality were well maintained relatively under the conserved forest land, while the effect was lowest on the soils of the unconserved cultivated land. Therefore, the use of integrated soil fertility management should be used to improve and maintain soil fertility status under different land uses.