Effects of Land Use and Land Cover on Soil Properties and Watershed Geomorphology at West Harareghe, Zonal Watersheds, Oromia, Regional, National, State, Ethiopia

Land and soil degradation are very severe in the highlands of Ethiopia which was resulted from anthropogenic activities. The major factors of land and soil degradation were includes population pressures, poverty, socio-economic issues, bad culture, and deforestation overgrazing improper implementation of SWC, continues and extensive cultivation. This study will be entitled with: The of effects of land uses and land covers on soil properties and watershed geomorphology at west Harareghe, zonal watersheds, Oromia, Regional, National, State, Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were incudes: to observe the effects of land use and land cover on chemical, physical and biological soil properties; to assess land uses and land covers changes using 50 years LANDSAT satellite images; to observe land use and land covers effects on watershed geomorphology, to investigate the correlation of soil properties with watershed geomorphology, to observe soil infiltration rate of the land uses and land covers and to examine the land uses/land covers effects on watershed recharge and restoration in quality and quantity. This study will be considered the correlation of dependent and independent variables of different land uses and land covers on soil properties and watershed geomorphology. In order to answer the proposed hypotheses and questionnaires the study will be use the significant level of 0.01 or 99% confidence intervals. Composite soil samples will be collects at two layers of soil depth from 0-20cm and 20-40cm. The total composite soil samples considered for this study will be 96 (per watershed 48 composite soil samples will be collects). In similar to determine soil MC which is very important to examine watershed recharge separately the total of 96 soil samples will be collects. Field soil texture testing using un-graduated cylinder and 30 cm rural ratio will be determinate. Soil BD will be test using the Beyoncé force method o the field. Laboratory and field analyzed soil data will be subject to GLM multivariate multiple of AOVA of. Statistical analysis of SAS software to observe the variations between different treatments. Chi-square of F-test will be considered to observe the variations between different land uses/land covers. Parameters that will be studying under this particular study includes: soil BD and MC, SOC, Ca and Mg, K, P, soil pH and soil texture.