Author(s): N. K. C. Abesiga; M. K. Magunda; M. J. Majaliwa
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Rangeland restoration; Soil productivity; Soil erosion and Species diversity
Abstract: Rangeland resource management for sustainable development still remains one of the unresolved issues facing policy analysis and development agencies in the developing countries. The need for rangeland management to increase rangeland productivity is a pertinent issue because degraded rangelands are a source of pollutants in form of nutrients from runoff. As a result there is increased runoff erosion and deposition, which leads to changes in spatial arrangement of nutrients and plants along the landscape and general reduction of rangeland productivity. Rangeland recovery was investigated on ridges with and without contour bunds, with specific reference to biomass production and soil properties. The study was conducted in Kakuuto County Rakai District Uganda. Biomass production and soil physical and chemical properties were determined along the landscape. Results indicated that, biomass production was higher on ridges with contour bunds (25.6 t·ha -1) compared to ridges without contour bunds (8 t·ha -1) three year after contour bunds establishment (p< 0.05). Biomass increased logarithmically overtime on ridges with contour bunds and did not significantly change on ridges without contour bunds. Ridges with contour bunds also presented higher values of pH and OM (p< 0.05). Saturated hydraulic conductivity increased from the summit to the foot slope on ridges with contour bunds and remained uniform along the landscape on ridges without contour bunds.
Year: 2004