Effect of Firewood Energy Consumption of Households on Status of Soil Fertility in Debis Watershed, Ambo District, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The increasing population of Ethiopia has resulted in excessive forest clearing for agricultural purpose, overgrazing and exploitation of the existing forests for fuel. The Environmental impact of over dependence on forest resources for energy source was not studied in sufficient detail in Debis watershed. Thus study was initiated to investigate the status of firewood consumption and its impact on soil fertility status. In order to investigate the impact of firewood consumption on soil fertility status, soil samples were collected from different land use types (deforested, grazing and natural forest) lands from soil of the upper (0-20cm) depth and analyzed for soil quality parameters (pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, CEC, and exchangable bases). Data obtained were analyzed using PROC-GLM procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS Institute, 2004). The results obtained from laboratory study of soil analysis, showed that, soil taken from natural forest had higher value of soil quality parameters such as: soil pH, organic carbon, CEC, total nitrogen and available phosphorus and potassium contents. The results clearly demonstrated that the different land use types had significant effects on soil quality, suggesting that a land cover change from forest land to the other land use types aggravated soil degradation, thereby resulting in soil fertility decline. Therefore, there is a need to develop sustainable and environmental friendly energy sources and practicing afforestation and forest management programs to overcome the deterioration of soil fertility of the study area in particular and other similar agro-ecological environments in the country.