The Impact of Livestock Grazing on Soil Characteristics in Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
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Date
2015
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Publisher
Scientific Research
Abstract
Livestock grazing is an anthropogenic disturbance on the soil properties in montane forests of
the northern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was determined the effect of livestock grazing on
SOC, N, CEC, SAS, SFD and P in the montane forest. Forty plots were randomly established for
collection of soil samples. Data showed livestock grazing decreased the accumulation of SOC and
consequently negatively affected the natural pattern of N, P, SFD, CEC and SAS. An opposing pattern
of available soil phosphorus was interpreted that the nutrient pool retained in plant tissues
particularly in the long-lived trees, which were absent in heavily grazed area. The observed
positive correlation between SOC with TN and CEC implies the livestock grazing impacts on the
former negatively affected the later soil parameters. Low fungal density in degraded parts of the
montane forest indicates that they are sensitive to the current land use change. Based on the
observation from this study, it can be regarded that excessive livestock grazing has a long-term
negative ramification for soil conservation in montane forest. An important decision has to be
sought off with regard to the conservation management of soil characteristics of the montane
forest in Kilimanjaro Mountain.
Description
Keywords
Livestock Grazing, Montane Forest, Northern Slopes, Kilimanjaro, Soil
Citation
Mligo, C., 2015. The Impact of Livestock Grazing on Soil Characteristics in Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 3(09), p.24.