Relationships between soil properties and tree species diversity in selected miombo woodland ecosystems, Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Bulenga, George Bunyata | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-02-18T10:05:26Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-02-18T10:05:26Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016 | |
| dc.description | Dissertation | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study aimed to assess relationships between selected edaphic properties with tree species diversity and amount of soil organic carbon at Kitulang'halo (Morogoro district) and Kibutuka (Liwale district) Miombo woodland ecosystems in Tanzania. Ten and eleven clusters were studied in Kitulang’halo and Kibutuka, respectively. Some of these clusters were those established by National Forest Resource Monitoring and Assessment (NAFORMA) while others were imbedded in order to increase reliability of data. Each cluster had ten circular plots of 15 m radius set al 250 in intervals. Three plots (4. 7 and 10) from each cluster were chosen systematically for soil and tree data collection making a total of 63 plots. AH tree species with DBH > 5 cm were measured and identified by their botanical names. Soil sampling was done by digging a soil mini-pit to 30 cm depth (NAFORMA approach) at intervals of 10 cm and angering to 100 cm depth (World Agroforestry Centre (1CRAF) approach) at 20 cm depth interval. Tree species diversity was determined using Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’). Soil chemical properties (soil organic carbon (SOC). total nitrogen, exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity, available phosphorus and soil pH) from samples collected by NAFORMA approach were analyzed by standard methods. SOC from soil samples collected by ICRAF approach was analyzed by Mid Infrared Radiation (MIR) method. Kitulang’halo had 123 different tree species (H'= 4.26) while Kibutuka had 102 different tree species (H’= 4.06). SOC. total N, Ca2+, K+, Na+ and CEC were higher at Kibutuka than at Kitulang’halo, while Mg2+, available P and pH were higher at Kitulang'halo. Tree species richness was positively related to SOC. Though this relationship was weak, it was significant at P<0.05, suggesting that SOC was high at higher tree species diversity. Tree species richness was not related to other soil chemical properties. The amount of SOC at 0-30 cm depth was about 42% of the total contained at 100 cm depth with about 58% of SOC in layer 30-100 cm depth in both sites. There was a consistent decrease in SOC storage with increasing soil depth in Kitulang’halo while at Kibutuka the maximum of SOC was found at 20-40 cm (40 t/ha), and then decreased with depth to 100 cm. The amount of SOC estimated by MIR method (ICRAF approach) and Walkley-Black method (NAFORMA approach) differed significantly (P<0.05), whereby the NAFORMA approach estimated more SOC than ICRAF approach. Kitulang’halo and Kibutuka Miombo woodland ecosystems require promoting conservation activities to increase a wide range of ecosystem processes and functions. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6560 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Sokoine University of Agriculture | |
| dc.subject | Kitulang'halo | |
| dc.subject | Kibutuka | |
| dc.subject | Miombo woodland | |
| dc.subject | Edaphic properties | |
| dc.subject | FORESTRY, AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES and LANDSCAPE PLANNING::Plant production::Forestry | |
| dc.title | Relationships between soil properties and tree species diversity in selected miombo woodland ecosystems, Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Thesis |