The Impact of Land Use Types on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Agricultural Productivity: a Case of Gojera Kebele, Dinsho District, South Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract Understanding the effects of different land use types on certain soil Physiochemical properties (PCPs) is essential to the sustainable use of soil resources. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of land use types on selected soil PCPs and Productivity in Dinsho district, Ethiopia. A total of 64 soil samples were collected from forest, farm, grazing, and grasslands at two soil depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) with three replications. The mean differences in the physical and chemical parameters of the soil were investigated using the two-way analysis of variance. The highest mean values of sand and clay were recorded in farm and grassland areas, respectively. The mean bulk density of the soils ranged between 1.14 and 1.37 g/cm-3, and the mean total porosity ranged from 42.02 to 51.5%, which indicated higher than the desirable range. The SOM ranged from 3.17% to 5.05%, while the mean values of pH ranged from 6.06 to 7.25. However, the mean values of total N ranged from 0.18 to 0.25%. The mean value of available P ranged from 2.03 to 5.2 mg kg1, which implies a high shortage of available P in the study area. The exchangeable basic cations, CEC, and PBS values were within high to very high ranges in all land use types. Particularly severe overgrazing and improperly land use, including deforestation, have detrimental effects on soil qualities. The productivity of the land and the condition of the soil must therefore be maintained by suitable land use policies and adequate land rebuilding management.