Papers by Habtamu Temesgen
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2018
Unregulated land use/cover change (LUCC) has imposed significant local, regional and global impac... more Unregulated land use/cover change (LUCC) has imposed significant local, regional and global impacts on livelihood and environment, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous studies well documented the extent and drivers of such spectacular LUCC in East Africa. However, data on regional/local impacts particularly that combine its socioeconomic and environmental effects are very scanty currently. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the socio-environmental impacts of LUCC in more dynamic and fragile landscapes of the Ethiopian Central Rift Valley lakes region. We used a combination of data from Remote Sensing, GIS-based processing, household survey and meteorological stations to quantify and analyze LUCC impacts. Results indicated that a rapid LUCC has occurred in the region over the last three decades which imposed a number of socioeconomic and environment-related impacts. Based on the percentage of respondent farmers, climate change (95%), soil productivity decline (94%), land degradation (92%), shortage of wood (91%), shortage of grazing land (89%), soil erosion (88%), loss of biodiversity (81%) and lake water retreat (74%), are the principal impacts of LUCC perceived. Such perceived impacts of LUCC are in line with the observed results obtained from comprehensive measured data analysis. Future land use policies need to consider management options that work on reducing anthropogenic-induced pressures on the environment and encouraging livelihood diversification in order to minimize the adverse socio-environmental impacts of spectacular LUCC in the region.
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2017
Yirsaw et al.: Socioeconomic drivers of spatio-temporal land use/land cover changes in a rapidly ... more Yirsaw et al.: Socioeconomic drivers of spatio-temporal land use/land cover changes in a rapidly urbanizing area-809
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2018
Ecological values of land use are important for the survival of human beings. Understanding their... more Ecological values of land use are important for the survival of human beings. Understanding their dynamic nature is essential for appropriate decisions. However, most often, economic value quantification has received major emphasis whereas ecological values are mostly overlooked, especially in developing countries. With the aim of quantifying ecological values of land use via criteria-based farmer's assessments and empirically analyzed soil properties, three land use types [conservation tillagebased agroforestry land (CTAFL), conventional tillage-based cultivated land (CVTCL) and enclosurebased communal land (ECL)] were selected. Criteria-based scoring was used and 90 farmers participated. For soil analysis, sample collection was done following sampling procedures. The results show that farmers have higher preference for CTAFL followed by ECL and CVTCL. This was due to higher ecological values derived from the CTAFL throughout the year with minimum variation compared to CVTCL and ECL. Almost all measured soil variables exhibited significant variation (p < 0.001) among land use type. Almost all soil variables exhibited higher mean values for CTAFL and this supported the results of the farmers' assessments. All ecological value improvements observed for CTAFL were related to clay fractions coupled with the SOC content and degree of soil disturbance. This result implies that conservation and participation based land management is a means to obtain sustainable ecological benefits from land use types.
This study investigates effect of land use and land cover change (LUCC) on some soil physical and... more This study investigates effect of land use and land cover change (LUCC) on some soil physical and chemical properties at Ameleke micro-watershed, South Ethiopia. Satellite images of 1986, 2000 and 2006 were used to analyze LUCCs of the watershed. For the purpose of soil sampling, the watershed was divided in to three altitudinal belts, from each of which two sample sites were taken. From each sample site, composite soil samples were collected from agroforestry, crop land, grass land and shrub lands in three replications at 0-15cm and 15-30 cm depth and selected soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The result of the land use/cover analyses showed that agroforestry and crop lands occupy larger part of the upland while grass and shrub lands occupy larger part of the middle and lower altitude of the watershed. The change detection study revealed that from 1986 to 2006, crop land area increased from 23.3 % to 31.0%; grass lands decreased from 25.9 % to 14.96% and shrub la...
Food and Energy Security, 2021
Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 2021
Abstract Through the increased use of innovation, human population has been growing rapidly in it... more Abstract Through the increased use of innovation, human population has been growing rapidly in its ability to derive resources from the environment. Predicting how land use/cover (LUC) changes affect regions and the society requires a good understanding of the dynamic human-environment interactions associated with land use change. This article addresses the future spatial distribution of land use and the impacts that ongoing LUC change have on the ecosystems of Gedeo-Abaya landscape. The actual LUC maps of 2000 and 2015 reference years together with natural and socioeconomic indicators were used in a combined Markov–CA model with GIS technology to simulate and forecast the changes in 2025 and 2035. Our prediction processes shows among the indicators used, distance to the nearest road and slope have more significant effects on the transition potential maps followed by elevation. Area based prediction change generally shows significant increase in agroforestry, cultivation land, and wetland/marshes LUC classes, while most natural vegetation classes, particularly woodland/shrubland (−29.8%), and grazing land (−5.7%) show significant reduction from 2015 to 2035. The present and forecasted trend of LUC changes has visible environmental and socioeconomic impacts, particularly on woodland ecosystems and on the well-being of (agro)pastoral communities in the downstream. Whilst, the betterment of the upstream study region strongly depends on the continuity with the current government landscape restoration policy as well as on the permanence of farmers current environmental friendly land management practices. Forecasting LUC changes in the study landscape offers the possibility that unwanted changes are prevented through proper and timely interventions.
Environmental Challenges, 2021
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2018
Global Ecology and Conservation, 2019
Environmental monitoring and assessment, Jan 23, 2018
Characterized by high population density on a rugged topography, the Gedeo-Abaya landscape domina... more Characterized by high population density on a rugged topography, the Gedeo-Abaya landscape dominantly contains a multi-strata traditional agroforests showing the insight of Gedeo farmers on natural resource management practices. Currently, this area has been losing its resilience and is becoming unable to sustain its inhabitants. Based on both RS-derived and GIS-computed land-use/cover changes (LUCC) as well as socioeconomic validations, this article explored the LUCC and agroecological-based driver patterns in Gedeo-Abaya landscape from 1986 to 2015. A combination of geo-spatial technology and cross-sectional survey design were employed to detect the drivers behind these changes. The article discussed that LUCC and the prevalence of drivers are highly diverse and vary throughout agroecological zones. Except for the population, most downstream top drivers are perceived as insignificant in the upstream region and vice versa. In the downstream, land-use/cover (LUC) classes are more dy...
Geoderma, 2017
Understanding soil properties under different land use types along toposequences is vital in dete... more Understanding soil properties under different land use types along toposequences is vital in determining the types of soil management practices that could be implemented by smallholder farmers for improving the soil health as well as soil productivity. It is also important in addressing the issues of agricultural sustainability. With the objectives of investigating variation in soil properties under different land use types managed by smallholder farmers along the toposequences, three land use types: agroforestry land (AG), cultivated land (CL) and grazing land (GL) under three slope categories (upper, middle and lower slope) were selected in southern Ethiopia, Deko watershed. A total of 108 composite soil samples [3 treatments (land use types) − 3 replications − 3 slope categories (upper, middle and lower) − 4 soil depth layers: 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm and > 60 cm] were collected for laboratory analyses. In addition, undisturbed soil samples were taken using core sampler from each soil depth for the determination of soil bulk density. To infer the biological properties of the soils naked eye soil macro-fauna (NEMF) was counted. The results showed that among the soil properties sand (p < 0.001), clay (p = 0.002), soil bulk density (p < 0.001), soil reactio (pH, p < 0.001), Electrical conductivity (EC, p < 0.001), Soil organic carbon (SOC %, p < 0.001), Total nitrogen (TN %, p = 0.001) and NEMF (p < 0.001) have shown a significant variation among the land use types while sand (p = 0.027), silt (p = 0.001), clay (p < 0.001), SOC (p < 0.001) and TN (p = 0.002) exhibiting significant variation among the slope categories. Similarly, variation of soil bulk density (p < 0.001), soil pH (p < 0.001), SOC (p < 0.001), TN (p = 0.002) and NNEMF (p < 0.001) were also statistically significant along the soil depth. Clay was the dominant soil textural fraction showing an increasing trend along the toposequence. Agroforestry land use type has the higher SOC, TN, pH values and EC while cultivated land use type having relatively low amount of SOC, TN, pH and EC. The lower values on cultivated land use types were due to the effects of continuous tillage practices by the smallholder farmers in the area. Slope had minimum effect on soil pH, EC, soil bulk density and the number of observable macro-faunas in the area. Moreover, SOC and TN were increased down the slope on the cultivated land use types of the area. The role of erosion is magnificent in removing SOC and TN from upper slope to lower slope as the area is more vulnerable to erosion due rugged topography. Thus, applying soil and water conservation measures on cultivated land use types play a vital role in minimizing the removal of soils down the slope.
Eos Trans. …, 2007
... Record Details. Record ID, 383834. Record Type, conference. Author, Jan Nyssen [802000198480]... more ... Record Details. Record ID, 383834. Record Type, conference. Author, Jan Nyssen [802000198480] - Ghent University [email protected]; HABTAMU TEMESGEN; MULUGETA LEMENIH; AMANUEL ZENEBE; MENGISTIE KINDU; H MITIKU. ...
Geoderma, 2008
... Afforestation, on the other hand, results in sequestration of new C and stabilization of old ... more ... Afforestation, on the other hand, results in sequestration of new C and stabilization of old C in physically protected SOM fractions, associated with micro-aggregates and silt and clay ([Del Galdo et al., 2003], [Mulugeta, et al., 2005] and [Bekele et al., 2006]). ...
Journal of Arid Environments, 2013
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Papers by Habtamu Temesgen