Effect of exclosure on subsurface water level and sediment yield in the tropical highlands of Ethiopia

Mesenbet Yibeltal; Atsushi Tsunekawa; Nigussie Haregeweyn; Derege Tsegaye Meshesha; Paolo Billi; Zelalem Bedaso; Anteneh Wubet; Min Woo Kang; Sang Soo Lee

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115414

Effect of exclosure on subsurface water level and sediment yield in the tropical highlands of Ethiopia

J Environ Manage. 2022 Sep 1:317:115414. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115414. Epub 2022 Jun 4.

Authors

Mesenbet Yibeltal¹, Atsushi Tsunekawa², Nigussie Haregeweyn³, Derege Tsegaye Meshesha⁴, Paolo Billi³, Zelalem Bedaso⁵, Anteneh Wubet⁴, Min Woo Kang⁶, Sang Soo Lee⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental & Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea; Faculty of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Electronic address: denekewy3@gmail.com.
² Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan.
³ International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan.
⁴ College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
⁵ Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469-2364, USA.
⁶ Department of Environmental & Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 35751249
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115414

Abstract

Grazing is a major cause of soil erosion and land degradation across many parts of Ethiopia. This study examined the effects of exclosure on subsurface water levels, soil erosion, and the relationship between daily rainfall and subsurface water levels. Piezometers were used to measure subsurface water levels in the exclosure area during 2017-2020. We found that sediment yield, runoff, and the volume of subsurface water vary greatly depending on the exclosure and temporal practices used. Exclosure of grazing land was the most effective sustainable land management practice in reducing runoff and sediment yield. In 2019 and 2020, the subsurface water level continued to rise at piezometers with exclosure, which shows that exclosure contributed to the subsurface water level rising. In addition, piezometers in grazing land and the exclosure indicate that runoff trapped by acacia decurrens trees can contribute to significant differences in subsurface water levels. Higher runoff coefficients were observed in 2017 and 2018 than in 2019 and 2020, indicating that the exclosure greatly affects runoff; therefore, its implementation is vital to reduce runoff and enhance water conservation. Sediment yields measured for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 140.45, 133.15, 101.03, and 74.39 g L^-1 day^-1, respectively. In 2017 and 2018, sediment yield increased, while in 2019 and 2020 sediment yield decreased because of an exclosure around the gully's cross-section and communal grazing. This study shows that erosion is reduced by exclosure, possibly due to the restoration of protective vegetation cover. This study revealed that a minimum of human and livestock intervention during the study period considerably increased groundwater levels and decreased soil erosion. Generally, the results of this study indicated that exclosure has a considerable impact on runoff and sediment. Therefore, exclosure implementation is vital to reduce runoff and sediment and enhance water conservation, thus supporting the development of effective communal grazing land management measures on the study sites and other similar environmental settings.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Exclosure; Grazing; Sediment yield; Subsurface water level; Tropical humid area.

MeSH terms

Ethiopia
Geologic Sediments
Humans
Rain*
Soil
Water
Water Movements*

Substances

Soil
Water