Seasonal and diurnal soil respiration dynamics under different land management practices in the sub-tropical highland agroecology of Ethiopia.

The temporal dynamics of soil respiration change in response to different land management practices are not well documented. This study investigated the effects of soil bunds on the monthly and diurnal dynamics of soil respiration rates in the highlands of the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. Six plots (with and without soil bunds, three replicates) were used for measurement of seasonal soil respiration, and 18 plots were used for measurement of diurnal soil respiration.

Use of soil spectral reflectance to estimate texture and fertility affected by land management practices in Ethiopian tropical highland.

As classical soil analysis is time-consuming and expensive, there is a growing demand for visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared (Vis-NIR-SWIR, wavelength 350-2500 nm) spectroscopy to predict soil properties. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of soil bunds on key soil properties and to develop regression models based on the Vis-NIR-SWIR spectral reflectance of soils in Aba Gerima, Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from the 0-30 cm soil layer in 48 experimental teff (Eragrostis tef) plots and analysed for soil texture, pH, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (av.