The soils of the Inderta woreda (district) in Tigray (Ethiopia) reflect its longstanding agricultural history, highly seasonal rainfall regime, relatively low temperatures, overall dominance of limestone and dolerite lithologies and steep slopes. Outstanding features in the soilscape are wide plains with Vertisols.[1][2][3][4]
Climate
Annual rainfall depth is very variable with an average of around 600mm.[5] Most rains fall during the main rainy season, which typically extends from June to September.
Mean temperature in woreda town Kwiha is 20°C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 11.3°C and maximum of 28.4°C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.[6]
Geology
From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:[7]
As part of the Ethiopian highlands the land has undergone a rapid tectonic uplift, leading the occurrence of mountain peaks, plateaus, valleys and gorges.
Land use
Generally speaking the level lands and intermediate slopes are occupied by cropland, while there is rangeland and shrubs on the steeper slopes. Remnant forests occur around Orthodox Christian churches and a few inaccessible places. A recent trend is the widespread planting of eucalyptus trees.
Environmental changes
Soil degradation in this district became important when humans started deforestation almost 5000 years ago.[11][12] Depending on land use history, locations have been exposed in varying degrees to such land degradation.
Typical catena in the gently rolling Antalo limestone plateau
Given the complex geology and topography of the district, it has been organised into land systems - areas with specific and unique geomorphic and geological characteristics, characterised by a particular soil distribution along the soil catena.[13][14][15] Soil types are classified in line with World Reference Base for Soil Resources and reference made to main characteristics that can be observed in the field.
Gently rolling Antalo Limestone plateau, holding cliffs and valley bottoms
Associated soil types
shallow stony soils with a dark surface horizon overlying calcaric material (Calcaric Leptosol) (3)
moderately deep dark stony clays with good natural fertility (Vertic Cambisol) (10)
deep, dark cracking clays on calcaric material (Calcaric Vertisol, Calcic Vertisol) (11)
Inclusions
Rock outcrops and very shallow soils (Lithic Leptosol) (1)
Shallow very stony loamy soil on limestone (Skeletic Calcaric Cambisol) (5)
Deep dark cracking clays with very good natural fertility, waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic Vertisol, Pellic Vertisol) (12)
Typical catena on Tufa dam backfillTufa dam in Chelekwot
Dominant soil type: deep dark cracking clays with very good natural fertility, waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic Vertisol, Pellic Vertisol) (12)
Associated soil type: stony, dark cracking clays with good natural fertility (Vertic Cambisol) (10)
Inclusions
shallow, stony, dark, loamy soils on calcaric material (Rendzic Leptosol) (3)
shallow, very stony, silt loamy to loamy soils (Skeletic Cambisol, Leptic Cambisol, Skeletic Regosol) (4)
The reduced soil protection by vegetation cover, combined with steep slopes and erosive rainfall has led to excessive soil erosion.[11][16][17]Nutrients and organic matter were lost and soil depth was reduced. Hence, soil erosion is an important problem, which results in low crop yields and biomass production.[18][19] As a response to the strong degradation and thanks to the hard labour of many people in the villages, soil conservation has been carried out on a large scale since the 1980s and especially 1980s; this has curbed rates of soil loss.[20][21] Measures include the construction of infiltration trenches, stone bunds,[22] check dams,[23] small reservoirs such as Addi Amharay, Arato and Hiza'iti Wedi Cheber as well as a major biological measure: exclosures in order to allow forest regeneration.[24] On the other hand, it remains difficult to convince farmers to carry out measures within the farmland (in situsoil management), such as bed and furrows or zero grazing, as there is a fear for loss of income from the land. Such techniques are however very effective.[25]
Hunting Technical Services. Central Tigre Development Study – Tigre Province Ethiopia, Working Paper I: Soils and land classification. Hemel Hempstead (U.K.): Hunting Technical Services Ltd.
IAO (2008). Land evaluation in Enderta District - Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Firenze, Italy: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare.
IAO (2014). Land evaluation in the May Gabat watershed Enderta-Hintalo Wejirat Districts (Northern Ethiopia). Firenze, Italy: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare.
Moeyersons, J. and colleagues (2006). "Age and backfill/overfill stratigraphy of two tufa dams, Tigray Highlands, Ethiopia: Evidence for Late Pleistocene and Holocene wet conditions". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 230 (1–2): 162–178. Bibcode:2006PPP...230..165M. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.07.013.
Nyssen, Jan; Poesen, Jean; Moeyersons, Jan; Deckers, Jozef; Haile, Mitiku; Lang, Andreas (2004). "Human impact on the environment in the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands - a state of the art". Earth-Science Reviews. 64 (3–4): 273–320. Bibcode:2004ESRv...64..273N. doi:10.1016/S0012-8252(03)00078-3.
Nyssen, Jan; Frankl, Amaury; Zenebe, Amanuel; Deckers, Jozef; Poesen, Jean (2015). "Land management in the northern Ethiopian highlands: local and global perspectives; past, present and future". Land Degradation & Development. 26 (7): 759–794. doi:10.1002/ldr.2336. S2CID129501591.
Nyssen, J.; Veyret-Picot, M.; Poesen, J.; Moeyersons, J.; Haile, Mitiku; Deckers, J.; Govers, G. (2004). "The effectiveness of loose rock check dams for gully control in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia". Soil Use and Management. 20: 55–64. doi:10.1111/j.1475-2743.2004.tb00337.x. S2CID98547102.
Tewodros Gebreegziabher, and colleagues (2009). "Contour furrows for in situ soil and water conservation, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia". Soil and Tillage Research. 103 (2): 257–264. doi:10.1016/j.still.2008.05.021.