TITLE:
The Impact of Livestock Grazing on Soil Characteristics in Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Cosmas Mligo
KEYWORDS:
Livestock Grazing, Montane Forest, Northern Slopes, Kilimanjaro, Soil
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.3 No.9,
November
27,
2015
ABSTRACT: Livestock
grazing is an anthropogenic disturbance on the soil properties in montane forests
of the northern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was determined the effect of
livestock grazing on SOC, N, CEC, SAS, SFD and P in the montane forest. Forty
plots were randomly established for collection of soil samples. Data showed
livestock grazing decreased the accumulation of SOC and consequently negatively
affected the natural pattern of N, P, SFD, CEC and SAS. An opposing pattern of
available soil phosphorus was interpreted that the nutrient pool retained in
plant tissues particularly in the long-lived trees, which were absent in
heavily grazed area. The observed positive correlation between SOC with TN and
CEC implies the livestock grazing impacts on the former negatively affected the
later soil parameters. Low fungal density in degraded parts of the montane
forest indicates that they are sensitive to the current land use change. Based
on the observation from this study, it can be regarded that excessive livestock
grazing has a long-term negative ramification for soil conservation in montane
forest. An important decision has to be sought off with regard to the
conservation management of soil characteristics of the montane forest in
Kilimanjaro Mountain.