Soil organic carbon variation in relation to land use changes: the case of Birr watershed, upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia

Table 3 Mean (±standard error) of the soil physical properties across land uses (0–20 cm)

Response variables	Soil depth (cm)	Land uses				Overall
Response variables	Soil depth (cm)	Natural and mixed forest	Cultivated land	Eucalyptus plantation	Open bush land	Overall
Sand (%)	0–10	66 ± 9.93^A	35.5 ± 9.93^B	50.5 ± 9.93^A	55.5 ± 9.93^A	51.9 ± 4.97
	10–20	60 ± 9.93^A	34 ± 9.93^B	50.5 ± 9.93^A	63 ± 9.93^A	51.9 ± 4.97
	Overall	60.67 ± 5.74^A	33.83 ± 5.74^B	52.67 ± 5.74^A	59.33 ± 5.74^A
Silt (%)	0–10	19 ± 5.86^A	28.5 ± 5.86^A	29 ± 5.86^A	30 ± 5.86^A	26.8 ± 2.93
	10–20	18.5 ± 5.86^A	28 ± 5.86^A	23.5 ± 5.86^A	25 ± 5.86^A	23.8 ± 2.93
	Overall	19.00 ± 3.38^A	27.33 ± 3.38^A	23.67 ± 3.382^A	24.83 ± 3.38^A
Clay (%)	0–10	14.5 ± 9.05^B	36 ± 9.05^A	20.5 ± 9.05^AB	14.5 ± 9.05^B	21.4 ± 4.527
	10–20	21.5 ± 9.05^B	38 ± 9.05^A	26 ± 9.05^AB	12 ± 9.05^B	24.4 ± 4.527
	Overall	20.67 ± 5.23^B	38.83 ± 5.23^A	23.67 ± 5.23^AB	15.83 ± 5.26^B
MC (%)	0–10	17.11 ± 1.41^A	15.37 ± 0.99^A	18.79 ± 1.09^A	16.24 ± 1.04^A	16.88 ± 0.57
	10–20	21.72 ± 1.41^A	18.76 ± 0.99^A	20.52 ± 1.09^A	19.95 ± 1.04^A	20.23 ± 0.57
	Overall	19.42 ± 0.99^A	17.06 ± 0.70^A	19.66 ± 0.77^A	18.1 ± 0.74^A
BD (g cm⁻³)	0–10	0.819 ± 0.03^B	1.000 ± 0.02^A	0.936 ± 0.02^A	0.969 ± 0.02^A	0.931 ± 0.01
	10–20	0.836 ± 0.03^C	0.945 ± 0.02^A	0.877 ± 0.02^BC	0.925 ± 0.02^AB	0.896 ± 0.01
	Overall	0.828 ± 0.02^C	0.973 ± 0.02^A	0.906 ± 0.01^B	0.947 ± 0.02^AB

The mean values followed by the different letters across rows are significantly different (p < 0.05)

ISSN: 2288-1220