Effects of habitat gradient and agro-climatic variation on selected soil physical and chemical properties in the Bale Mountains national park, south-eastern Ethiopia

Soil properties in the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, vary significantly with agro-climatic zones, land cover types, and habitat gradients. Research shows that lower-altitude areas with natural vegetation and interior habitats exhibit higher soil pH, organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and clay content. Conversely, farmland and edge habitats display increased sand and silt content, as well as higher bulk density. These findings underscore the critical need for conservation efforts targeting highly human-impacted ecosystems, such as grasslands in middle altitudes, ericaceous lands in higher altitudes, and moist forests in lower altitudes. The study employed stratified and systematic sampling techniques to analyze 72 soil samples across three agro-climatic zones, three land cover types, two habitat gradients, and four replications, using statistical methods including ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test.

Ahmedin, A. M., & Elias, E. (2022). Effects of habitat gradient and agro-climatic variation on selected soil physical and chemical properties in the Bale Mountains national park, south-eastern Ethiopia. BMC Ecology and Evolution, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02032-7