The effect of land use change on soil fertility parameters in densely populated areas of Kenya

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dc.contributor.authorWillya, Daniel Kyalo
dc.contributor.authorMuyangad, Milu
dc.contributor.authorMbuvic, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorJayned, Thomas
dc.date.accessioned2020-11-02T12:22:50Z
dc.date.available2020-11-02T12:22:50Z
dc.date.issued2019-03
dc.descriptionResearch Articleen_US
dc.description.abstractThe current study seeks to assess sustainability of agricultural land use by identifying the effect of land use change on soil quality using cross-sectional data collected through a household survey among 525 farm households in densely populated areas of Kenya. Soil samples were collected, analyzed and compared across three land use types: undisturbed, semi-disturbed and cultivated. To achieve these objectives, descriptive, Nutrient Index approach and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis methods were used. Results indicate that within a period of five decades, agricultural land use has led to a decline in Total Organic Carbon (−72%), Magnesium (−65%) and Boron (−61%), Iron (−22%) and Total Nitrogen (−15%). The drivers of deterioration identified were cutting across inherent properties such as soil chemical (pH), physical (soil mapping unit) and biological (organic carbon) attributes, farmer practices (agricultural commercialization) and exogenous factors (population density and Agro-ecological zones). The study concludes that indeed conversion of land from natural vegetation is associated with deterioration in soil quality and therefore policy needs to create incentives for the build-up of soil organic matter, replenishment of soil macro and micro nutrients. Blending of commercial fertilizers with targeted micro-nutrients, maintenance of soil conservation techniques and long term fallowing are encouraged.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipBill and Melinda Gates Foundationen_US
dc.identifier.citationWilly, D. K., Muyanga, M., Mbuvi, J., & Jayne, T. (2019). The effect of land use change on soil fertility parameters in densely populated areas of Kenya. Geoderma, 343, 254-262.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0016-7061
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/20783
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.subjectAgricultural intensificationen_US
dc.subjectSoil qualityen_US
dc.subjectLand use changeen_US
dc.subjectSustainableen_US
dc.titleThe effect of land use change on soil fertility parameters in densely populated areas of Kenyaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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