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Soil-forming factors of high-elevation mountains along the East African rift valley : the case of the Mount Guna volcano, Ethiopia

(2024) SOIL SYSTEMS. 8(2).
Author
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Abstract
The soils of the high-elevation mountains along the East African Rift Valley are poorly understood. Assessing the potential of soils for agriculture, climate change mitigation, and environmental functioning requires insight into how they relate to the factors influencing soil formation. Between 3000 and 4120 m a.s.l., 85 soil profiles of Mount Guna were described and sampled. Standard physicochemical analyses were done on all pedons. Additionally, X-ray diffraction, Alox and Feox content, and P fixation were performed on six selected profiles. Soils on Mount Guna included Andosols, Phaeozems, Leptosols, Regosols, Cambisols, Luvisols, and Vertisols. With increasing elevation, clay content, bulk density, and pH decreased while the C:N ratio remained constant. In contrast, sand, silt, silt-to-clay ratio, SOC, Ntotal, and SOCS increased. With a factor analysis, the soil-forming factors' elevation/climate could be disentangled from the factor's parent material as these affect topsoil and subsoil differently. In the ordination based on climate/elevation and parent material, Andosols and Vertisols stood out while other Reference Soil Groups (RSG) showed indistinct patterns. Soil erosion appeared as an additional soil-forming factor not accounted for by the factor analysis. The distribution of the RSG was significantly associated with elevation belts (p < 0.001), lithology (p < 0.001), and landcover (p < 0.003). On the summital ridge, the Andosols were crucial for groundwater storage due to high precipitation. Shallow and stony soils in the mid-elevation belt contributed to runoff generation. Average soil carbon stock ranged from 8.1 to 11 kg C m(-2) in the topsoil and from 29.2 to 31.9 kg C m(-2) in the upper meter, emphasizing the global importance of high-elevation areas for carbon sequestration.
Keywords
Andosols, Luvisols, Leptosols, SCORPAN, factor analysis, hydrology, carbon sequestration, CLIMATE-CHANGE, LAKE TANA, EROSION, VEGETATION, ANDEPTS

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MLA
Getahun Sisay, Mekonnen, et al. “Soil-Forming Factors of High-Elevation Mountains along the East African Rift Valley : The Case of the Mount Guna Volcano, Ethiopia.” SOIL SYSTEMS, vol. 8, no. 2, 2024, doi:10.3390/soilsystems8020038.
APA
Getahun Sisay, M., Adgo Tsegaye, E., Tolossa, A. R., Nyssen, J., Frankl, A., Van Ranst, E., & Dondeyne, S. (2024). Soil-forming factors of high-elevation mountains along the East African rift valley : the case of the Mount Guna volcano, Ethiopia. SOIL SYSTEMS, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8020038
Chicago author-date
Getahun Sisay, Mekonnen, Enyew Adgo Tsegaye, Alemayehu Regassa Tolossa, Jan Nyssen, Amaury Frankl, Eric Van Ranst, and Stefaan Dondeyne. 2024. “Soil-Forming Factors of High-Elevation Mountains along the East African Rift Valley : The Case of the Mount Guna Volcano, Ethiopia.” SOIL SYSTEMS 8 (2). https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8020038.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Getahun Sisay, Mekonnen, Enyew Adgo Tsegaye, Alemayehu Regassa Tolossa, Jan Nyssen, Amaury Frankl, Eric Van Ranst, and Stefaan Dondeyne. 2024. “Soil-Forming Factors of High-Elevation Mountains along the East African Rift Valley : The Case of the Mount Guna Volcano, Ethiopia.” SOIL SYSTEMS 8 (2). doi:10.3390/soilsystems8020038.
Vancouver
1.
Getahun Sisay M, Adgo Tsegaye E, Tolossa AR, Nyssen J, Frankl A, Van Ranst E, et al. Soil-forming factors of high-elevation mountains along the East African rift valley : the case of the Mount Guna volcano, Ethiopia. SOIL SYSTEMS. 2024;8(2).
IEEE
[1]
M. Getahun Sisay et al., “Soil-forming factors of high-elevation mountains along the East African rift valley : the case of the Mount Guna volcano, Ethiopia,” SOIL SYSTEMS, vol. 8, no. 2, 2024.
@article{01HXXZM9MTSPNBGT0T7GWKXAH0,
  abstract     = {{The soils of the high-elevation mountains along the East African Rift Valley are poorly understood. Assessing the potential of soils for agriculture, climate change mitigation, and environmental functioning requires insight into how they relate to the factors influencing soil formation. Between 3000 and 4120 m a.s.l., 85 soil profiles of Mount Guna were described and sampled. Standard physicochemical analyses were done on all pedons. Additionally, X-ray diffraction, Alox and Feox content, and P fixation were performed on six selected profiles. Soils on Mount Guna included Andosols, Phaeozems, Leptosols, Regosols, Cambisols, Luvisols, and Vertisols. With increasing elevation, clay content, bulk density, and pH decreased while the C:N ratio remained constant. In contrast, sand, silt, silt-to-clay ratio, SOC, Ntotal, and SOCS increased. With a factor analysis, the soil-forming factors' elevation/climate could be disentangled from the factor's parent material as these affect topsoil and subsoil differently. In the ordination based on climate/elevation and parent material, Andosols and Vertisols stood out while other Reference Soil Groups (RSG) showed indistinct patterns. Soil erosion appeared as an additional soil-forming factor not accounted for by the factor analysis. The distribution of the RSG was significantly associated with elevation belts (p < 0.001), lithology (p < 0.001), and landcover (p < 0.003). On the summital ridge, the Andosols were crucial for groundwater storage due to high precipitation. Shallow and stony soils in the mid-elevation belt contributed to runoff generation. Average soil carbon stock ranged from 8.1 to 11 kg C m(-2) in the topsoil and from 29.2 to 31.9 kg C m(-2) in the upper meter, emphasizing the global importance of high-elevation areas for carbon sequestration.}},
  articleno    = {{38}},
  author       = {{Getahun Sisay, Mekonnen and Adgo Tsegaye, Enyew and Tolossa, Alemayehu Regassa and Nyssen, Jan and Frankl, Amaury and Van Ranst, Eric and Dondeyne, Stefaan}},
  issn         = {{2571-8789}},
  journal      = {{SOIL SYSTEMS}},
  keywords     = {{Andosols,Luvisols,Leptosols,SCORPAN,factor analysis,hydrology,carbon sequestration,CLIMATE-CHANGE,LAKE TANA,EROSION,VEGETATION,ANDEPTS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{20}},
  title        = {{Soil-forming factors of high-elevation mountains along the East African rift valley : the case of the Mount Guna volcano, Ethiopia}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8020038}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

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