Browsing by Author "Gulinck, H."

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Assessing drivers of soil properties and classification in the West Usambara mountains, Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2017-10-16) Massawe, B. H. J.; Winowiecki, L.; Meliyo, J. L.; Mbogoni, J. D. J.; Msanya, B. M.; Kimaro, D.; Deckersf, J.; Gulinck, H.; Lyamchai, C.; Sayula, G.; Msokah, E.; Vagen, T.; Brush, G.; Jelinskii, N. A.
Improved soil information in tropical montane regions is critical for conservation, sustainable agricultural management, and land use planning, but is often challenged by topographic and land-use heterogeneity. The West Usambara mountains are a part of the Eastern Arc chain of mountains of Tanzania and Kenya, a globally important tropical montane ecoregion made up of isolated fault-block mountain complexes characterized by high biological endemism, population density, and agronomic productivity. We synthesized novel and legacy soil data from published and unpublished studies to better understand the drivers of soil property distributions and soil diversity in the West Usambaras, and to serve as a foundation for improved soil mapping efforts across the Eastern Arc. Analysis of the resulting dataset of 468 sites (ranging in elevation from 1040 to 2230 m.a.s.l.) revealed that soil properties varied more significantly by land use and topography than by soil type, suggesting that future mapping efforts in the region should focus primarily on soil property prediction and secondarily on soil classification. Sites under cultivated land uses had the lowest topsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations and highest pH values, and SOC generally increased with increasing elevation. Valley soils had significantly lower surface SOC concentrations but higher exchangeable bases and pH values than all other landscape positions. Soil pH decreased by an average of 3.5 units across the entire elevation gradient and decreased by 1 unit with elevation even after SOC, land use and landscape position were included in multiple regression models. The relationship of cation exchange capacity (CEC) to SOC and clay content varied by landscape position. Therefore, particularly in montane regions where soils can vary significantly over short distances, multiple functions may be necessary to produce improved estimates of parameters such as CEC. Soil classification was driven most strongly by topography, with Acrisols (WRB Reference Group) and Ultisols (U.S. Soil Taxonomy (ST)) as the dominant soil types, located primarily on mid slope, upper slope and crest landscape positions, making up 47% and 75% of observed profiles, respectively. However, five ST Orders and seven WRB Reference Groups were present in the dataset, with the highest soil diversity occurring at lower slope landscape positions. Conclusions drawn from this large dataset support previous work in the West Usambaras and provide a conceptual foundation from which to build improved soil maps across the Eastern Arc and in other tropical montane systems throughout the world.
Lepus conference soils, land use and plague Lushoto, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2013-08) Hieronimo, P.; Meliyo, J.; Gulinck, H.; Kimaro, D.; Msanya, B.; Mulungu, L.; Kihupi, N.; Deckers, S.; Leirs, H.; Leirs, H.
This excursion guide leads you to the case study area of the LEPUS project. The study area is located in a 200 km2 section of the Western Usambara Mountains and within the Lushoto district (map 1 ). I t is centred over the region in which during the period 1 980 - 2004 many bubonic plague cases were registered. Within the case area, there is west-east gradient from high to low plague incidence.
Lepus conference soils, land use and plague Lushoto, Tanzania
(2013) Hieronimo, P.; Meliyo, J.; Gulinck, H.; Kimaro, D.; Msanya, B. M.; Mulungu, L.; Kihupi, N.; Deckers, S.; Leirs, H.
Selected soil properties for prediction of plague vectors and reservoirs in Mavumo area, Lushoto district, Tanzania
(RUFORUM, 2010-09) John, B. H.; Msanya, B. M.; Kimaro, D. N.; Meliyo, J. L.; Mulungu, Loth S.; Kihupi, N. I.; Gulinck, H.
The importance of selected soil properties with respect to occurrence of plague vectors and reservoirs was studied in Lushoto District, Tanzania. Plague reservoirs showed significant correlation (p<0.05) with subsoil percent clay, topsoil percent total nitrogen, topsoil C/N, topsoil pH and topsoil DTPA extractable Cu. Plague vectors’ occurrence showed significant correlation (p<0.05) with effective soil depth, topsoil percent total nitrogen, topsoil C/N, subsoil percent organic carbon and with topsoil DTPA extractable Zn. It is recommended that plague disease control should also employ knowledge on relationships between soil properties and plague reservoirs and vectors.
Variability of soil organic carbon with landforms and land use in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania
(Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management, 2016-09) Meliyo, J. L.; Msanya, B. M.; Kimaro, D. N.; Massawe, B. H. J.; Hieronimo, P.; Mulungu, L. S.; Deckers, J.; Gulinck, H.
This study was carried out to assist in the formulation of conservation technologies for landscape sustained productivity in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Conventional soil survey methods were used to develop a base map on which 55 soil profile pits were randomly located on representative landforms and land use mapping units. Soil samples were collected from topsoils for soil carbon analysis using the wet digestion method. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were used to establish relationships between landforms, land use and soil organic carbon levels. Results showed that carbon levels ranged between 0.55 and 10.8% for bush land and forest plantations in the plain and plateau, respectively. Under cultivation, soil organic carbon (SOC) levels varied between 1.03 and 6.34% for mid-slopes and lower slopes of the plateau respectively. The average soil organic carbon in the vegetable growing valley bottoms was 4.5% while in the forest plantation was 5.5% with minimum and maximum of 0.8 and 10.8% respectively. Linear regression model analysis indicated that factors influencing variability of SOC apart from land use are: slope form, soil pH, electrical conductivity and CECclay. It was concluded that soil organic matter in the study area is mainly determined by elevation, slope form and type of land use and management. Introduction of soil erosion control measures and incorporation of crop residues to areas where soil organic matter has been depleted were recommended for sustainable crop production.