Land use Changes have a significant impact on the physico-chemical properties of soil. Understanding the effects of these changes is essential for sustainable land productivity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how different soil properties were impacted by land use transitions and soil depth in Fagita Lekoma district. Soil samples were collected from cropland, Acacia decurrens, and Eucalyptus plantations at two depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) with three replications. A total of 18 samples, comprising disturbed composite and undisturbed core soil samples, underwent standard laboratory analysis. Significant differences in soil parameters across land uses and depths were analyzed using two-way analysis of variancewith mean separation conducted via Fisher's least significant difference test at p < 0.05. The results highlighted the notable influence of land use types and soil depth on physico-chemical soil properties. Conversion of cropland to an Acacia decurrens plantation significantly increased soil pH from 5.18 to 5.62 in water (H₂O) and from 4.12 to 4.55 in potassium chloride (KCl) solution and reduced exchangeable acidity by 3.67 cmol(+)/kg, while available Fe and Mn increased by 6.68 ppm and 7.17 ppm, respectively. Soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) increased by 62.7% (from 33.05 to 53.79 t/ha) under Acacia decurrens compared to cropland. Surface soils (0–20 cm) had higher micronutrients (e.g., Fe: 17.81 vs. 16.77 ppm) and organic carbon (2.09% vs. 1.99%) than subsurface soils (20–40 cm). The findings suggest that transitioning cropland to Acacia decurrens cultivation by smallholder farmers can ameliorate soil acidity issues, enhance micronutrient availability, and boost SOCS. Therefore, promoting plantation activities in degraded, acidic croplands is advisable.
Yenesew et al. (Mon,) studied this question.