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Abstract Soil fertility degradation has become a major challenge resulting in low crop productivity and food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. Indigenous scattered trees such as Acacia abyssinica, Albizia schimperiana, Croton macrostachyus and Olea africana are purposively maintained on farmlands to improve soil fertility and crop productivity. However, there has been limited evidence on the effects of those trees on soil properties. Hence, the study aimed to examine effects of A. abyssinica, A. schimperiana, C. macrostachyus and O. africana trees and radial distances on soil physicochemical properties in Baskura Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from 0–20 cm depth at three radial distances (under canopy, canopy edge and outside the canopy) of each tree trunk. The collected data was analyzed using analysis of variance. Results revealed significant ( p A. abyssinica > A. schimperiana > O. africana . Hence, integrating indigenous trees such as C. macrostachyusand and A. abyssinica on croplands can improve soil properties and nutrient availability. However, further study need to be conducted to examine effects of tree species on soil properties, litter quality and decomposition dynamics under different agroecological conditions.
Ejigu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.