Effects of land use on Soil Organic Carbon fractions in soils of Njala Landscape in Sierra Leone

Effects of land use on Soil Organic Carbon fractions in soils of Njala Landscape in Sierra Leone



Denis M. K. Amara, Sahr A. Koroma, Philip J. Kamanda, Augustine M. Kamara, Daniel H. Saidu



Soil organic carbon fractions reflect the difference
in soil organic carbon from one land use to another, and it can be
regarded as an indication of the degree of soil organic carbon
deterioration or improvement. Although knowledge of importance soil
quality indicators is vital for replenishing and maintaining soil
fertility, little information is available on the effect of different
land use management on soil organic matter fractions in Sierra Leone. In
the present study, the effects of different land use on the
distribution of soil organic matter fractions in soils of the Njala
series was assessed. The study revealed both positive and negative
effect of land uses on Organic carbon fractions at the Matturie site
showed an increase upon conversion of grassland to tree cropping except
for carbon in the silt+clay fraction. The total organic carbon, light
fraction carbon and particulate organic carbon fractions were
significantly greater in the forest soil than in soils under grassland.
The decline in the silt+clay fraction organic carbon was an indication
that residue decomposition and organic matter addition are low in this
area. At the Old Agronomy Site, where Acacia and Gliricidia fallows
were converted to agriculture (groundnut), soil organic carbon (SOC)
contents showed a decrease under annual cropping land use types. The
conversion of Acacia and Gliricidia land use to groundnut cultivation
resulted in loss of total organic carbon and all carbon fractions. The
largest decline was in the light fraction carbon (16.46%)., followed by
the particulate organic carbon (15.82%), total organic carbon (14.63%)
and the silt+clay fraction (5.83%). The least decline occurring in the
silt+clay fraction indicates that organic matter is better protected in
silt+clay fraction. Similar changes in soil organic carbon fractions, as
observed for the Old Agronomy site, were observed at the NATC site. The
results showed that there are greater losses of particulate organic
carbon (17.24%), light fractions (18%) and total organic carbon (16.21)
than from the silt+clay fraction (7.34) when the land use is changed
from secondary forest to arable cropping. 



10.22161/ijeab/1.4.5



http://ijeab.com/upload_document/issue_files/5%20IJEAB-OCT-2016-17-Effects%20of%20land%20use%20on%20Soil%20Organic%20Carbon%20fractions%20in%20soils%20of%20Njala%20Landscape.pdf



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