Carbon stocks in Ethiopian soils in relation to land use and soil management

Summary

This narrative review synthesised available literature on the effects of land use change and soil management practices on soil carbon stocks in Ethiopia. The review documented substantial topsoil carbon losses (0–83%) upon conversion from forest to cropland, grazing or plantation, whilst protected enclosures showed modest carbon gains (1–3% over 10 years). The analysis identified significant potential for soil carbon sequestration through adoption of land restoration measures, with estimated sequestration rates of 0.066–2.2 Tg C year⁻¹ on rain-fed cropland and 4.2–10.5 Tg C year⁻¹ on rangeland.

Regional applicability

Ethiopia's findings on carbon losses from forest conversion and gains from rangeland protection have partial relevance to United Kingdom context, particularly for moorland and upland pasture management, though Ethiopia's tropical and semi-arid climates, rainfall patterns and farming systems differ substantially. The identified research gaps in Ethiopian literature highlight the need for comparable systematic data collection in the UK's diverse soil and land-use contexts.

Key measures

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes (percentage decline/increase); soil carbon sequestration potential (Tg C year⁻¹) under restoration scenarios; topsoil versus subsoil carbon dynamics

Outcomes reported

The review synthesised literature on soil carbon stock changes following land use conversion and soil management practices in Ethiopia. It quantified carbon losses from forest-to-cropland, forest-to-grazing, and forest-to-plantation conversions, and identified carbon sequestration potential through restoration measures.

Topic tags