Abstract
Enset ( Ensete ventricosum ) is among the under-researched African crops that serve as a staple food crop in South Ethiopia. Despite potential benefits, tree species are rarely integrated into enset farms, and their potential to enhance soil fertility in enset systems remains largely unexplored. As a consequence, reliable recommendations for farmers are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of dominant tree species on soil physicochemical properties in enset-producing homegardens in the Gamo Highlands of South Ethiopia. Under the five most common tree species, we measured 11 soil health indicators and compared them at three radial distances from tree trunks. Those results were compared to the elemental composition of the tree leaves and their decomposability. In on-farm observations, soil physicochemical properties varied widely between farms, yet significant intra-farm differences were observed only in TN, Pav, K, Ca, Mg, and cation exchange capacity. Tree species identity and radial distance had no significant effect on most soil physicochemical properties; however, their interaction significantly influenced TC, C/N ratio, Ca, and CEC, with the highest values observed beneath canopies of larger, older Ficus sur trees. Nevertheless, leaf litter elemental composition differed significantly among tree species. Croton macrostachyus had the lowest C/N ratio and the highest nutrient concentrations, while Cordia africana decomposed at a slower rate. Overall, our field observations suggest that large, old trees can contribute to maintaining soil fertility and therefore should be conserved as much as possible within enset farming systems. The potential of planting new trees to replenish soil nutrients will, thus, depend on the consistency of the measure, the density of trees, and the leaf biomass to be incorporated over time. Furthermore, given the wide variation in litter properties among species, recommendations to farmers should match tree characteristics to specific soil conditions and amendments to best enhance fertility based on their needs.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Within farms, TN, Pav, K, Ca, Mg and cation exchange capacity differed significantly.
- Outcome
- TN, Pav, K, Ca, Mg, and cation exchange capacitye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“significant intra-farm differences were observed only in TN, Pav, K, Ca, Mg, and cation exchange capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Tree identity and radial distance had no significant effect on most soil physicochemical properties.
- Treatment
- Tree species identity and radial distancee0
- Outcome
- soil physicochemical propertiese0
- Direction
- no significant effecte0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Tree species identity and radial distance had no significant effect on most soil physicochemical properties”
Claim · model-written summary
The interaction of tree identity and radial distance significantly influenced TC, C/N ratio, Ca and CEC, with maxima beneath larger, older Ficus sur.
- Outcome
- TC, C/N ratio, Ca, and CECe0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Setting
- beneath canopies of larger, older Ficus sur treese0
Ficus surOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“their interaction significantly influenced TC, C/N ratio, Ca, and CEC, with the highest values observed beneath canopies of larger, older Ficus sur trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf litter elemental composition differed among tree species.
- Outcome
- leaf litter elemental compositione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“leaf litter elemental composition differed significantly among tree species”
Claim · model-written summary
Croton macrostachyus had the lowest litter C/N ratio.
- Taxon
- Croton macrostachyus
.jpg?width=60)
Croton macrostachyuse0 - Outcome
- C/N ratioe0
- Direction
- loweste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Croton macrostachyus had the lowest C/N ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
Croton macrostachyus had the highest litter nutrient concentrations.
- Taxon
- Croton macrostachyusCroton macrostachyuse0
- Outcome
- nutrient concentrationse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Croton macrostachyus had the lowest C/N ratio and the highest nutrient concentrations”
Claim · model-written summary
Cordia africana decomposed more slowly.
- Taxon
- Cordia africana
Cordia africanae0 - Outcome
- decomposede0
- Direction
- slowere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cordia africana decomposed at a slower rate”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest conserving large, old trees within enset farming systems to maintain soil fertility.
Verbatim
e0“large, old trees can contribute to maintaining soil fertility and therefore should be conserved as much as possible within enset farming systems”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend matching tree characteristics to specific soil conditions and amendments.
- Outcome
- should match tree characteristics to specific soil conditions and amendmentse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“recommendations to farmers should match tree characteristics to specific soil conditions and amendments”