Vegetation Patchy Dieback: A Case Study of Colophospermum mopane Vegetation Type in Semi-arid Botswana | Chapter 09 | Research Aspects in Biological Science Vol. 2

 Drought, soil surface condition, and soil chemistry have all been linked to patch dieback of Colophospermum mopane (Kirk ex Benth.) Kirk ex J. Léonard in South Africa. Vachellia xanthophloea (Benth.) P. J. H. Hurter, synonyms Acacia xanthophloea Benth, has been documented in east Africa, and has been related to both increasing ground water tables and increased soil salinity during a period of greater rainfall. In Botswana's north-eastern area, dieback of C. mopane and other species was discovered in 2012. (North West of Francistown). The causes of the observed dieback remained unclear. The purpose of this study was to figure out what was causing the dieback and what was causing it. The study's specific goals were to identify the woody species. what locals believe the reasons of the dieback were, and if rainfall, temperature, and soil type had an impact on the dieback. The research was based on a field survey to identify dieback-affected species, their relative composition, and the locations impacted. Residents in the affected regions were also asked to fill out a questionnaire about what they felt caused the dieback. The Department of Meteorological Services provided rainfall and temperature data. It was discovered that not only C. mopane, but also other species were damaged. It was discovered that not only C. mopane, but also Dichrostachys cinerea, Combretum hereroense, and Terminalia prunioides were impacted. There was a lot of evidence that the dieback was caused by a combination of low temperature and soil type. Trees died faster on heavy clay soils than on loamy soils. The study's findings tend to indicate that dwarf C. mopane on heavy clay soil areas may be the consequence of periodic diebacks.

Author(S) Details

Shimane W. Makhabu
Department of Biological Sciences, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Private bag 0027, Gaborone, Botswana.

Rabson Nthata
Tashata Community Junior Secondary School, P/Bag T23, Tatitown, Botswana.

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Characteristics, Fertility Status and Fertility Capabiliy Classification of Vertisols along the Benue Floodplain (North Cameroon) | Chapter 4 | Current Perspectives to Environment and Climate Change Vol. 4

 

Vertisols are one of the most fertile soils in the World but crop production is often limited by physical
features related to shrink-swell movements under different moisture conditions making management
strategies mostly tilted towards soil moisture control. However, most crops grown on Vertisols often
show signs of nutritional deficiencies whose causes are not yet fully understood. The main aim of the
present work was to characterize the Vertisols of the Benue floodplain of North Cameroon, to highlight
some potential causes of nutritional deficiencies and to attempt a fertility capability classification
(FCC) of those soils. The work was done in the field and in the laboratory. The main results revealed
that those soils, with a depth of 2-2.5 m above the water table, they showed a dark grey and a heavy
clayey texture. Physico-chemically, they showed a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), high sum of
exchangeable bases (S), high base saturation (S/T ratio), low organic carbon (OC), high total
available phosphorus (TAP), low total nitrogen (TN) and moderate to high C/N ratio (10-27). The
nitrogen versus pH equilibrium revealed that despite the suitable pH(H2O), close to neutrality, TN was
potentially deficient and limiting to plant growth. The Ca/Mg/K ratio revealed a cationic imbalance for
Ca, Mg and K. The other equilibrium factors like potassium versus texture, sum of bases versus
texture, CEC versus texture equilibrium and individual exchangeable bases versus CEC equilibrium
revealed a very good chemical fertility. The major constraints to crop production were heavy clayey
texture (C), waterlogging (g), organic matter depletion (m) and vertic properties (v), enabling the
Vertisols to be classified as Cgmv in the FCC system. Despite their high chemical fertility, heavy
clayey texture and cationic imbalance indicated a potentially limited nutritional uptake by plants,
suggesting that management strategies for crop production on Vertisols should not only be geared
towards water management, but also towards nutrient management. Thus, strategies to improve crop
production should include selection of appropriate crop varieties, introduction of suitable cropping
systems and chemical methods (right amounts and combination of nutrients).

Author (s) Details

Primus Azinwi Tamfuh
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon and Department of Mining and Mineral Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic Institute, University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39, Bamenda, Cameroon.

Emmanuel Djoufac Woumfo
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Alexis Boukong

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon.

Fritz Oben Tabi
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon.

Dieudonné Bitom
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon.

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