Differential Impact of Land Use Types on Soil Productivity Components in Two Agroecological Zones of Southern Ghana

Folasade Mary Owoade, Samuel Godfried Kwasi Adiku, Christopher John Atkinson, Dilys Sefakor MacCarthy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The maintenance of soil productivity is important for sustained crop yield in low-input systems in the tropics. This study investigated the impact of four different land use types, namely, maize and cassava cropping, woodlot/plantations, and natural forests on soil productivity components, especially soil carbon accretion, at six sites within two agro-ecological zones of southern Ghana. Soil properties were significantly different between sites and ecological zones. The coastal savanna zones, which is a low rainfall zone had relatively lower soil carbon storage than the high rainfall forest-savanna transition zone. Soil productivity conditions in the later zone were much more favorable for cropping than the former. Land use types significantly affected the soil carbon (SOC) storage within the two ecological zones. In the low rainfall zone, soil carbon accretion by maize cropping, cassava cropping, and plantations were 48%, 54%, and 60%, respectively, of the forest carbon stock (47, 617 kg/ha). In the transition zone, the soil carbon accretion was over 90% of the forest value (48, 216 kg/ha) for all land use types. In effect use of land use types in maintaining soil productivity must consider the conditions in a given ecological zone.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAfrican Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation
Subtitle of host publicationWith 610 Figures and 361 Tables
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Pages1721-1733
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9783030451066
ISBN (Print)9783030451059
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2021

Keywords

  • Agro-ecology
  • Land use
  • Soil carbon stock
  • Soil productivity
  • Soil properties

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