The Effects of Land Use and Landscape Position on Soil Physicochemical Properties in a Semiarid Watershed, Northern Ethiopia

Table 3

Mean values ± SE of soil bulk density, total porosity, and soil moisture in different land use types across altitudinal gradients.

Soil variables	Land use types	Altitudinal gradients			Average
		Lower	Middle	Upper
Bulk density (g cm^−3)	Barren land	—	1.34 ± 0.03	1.40 ± 0.03	1.37^a±0.10
	Cultivated land	1.09 ± 0.03	1.21 ± 0.03	1.32 ± 0.03	1.21^b ± 0.10
	Grassland	0.98 ± 0.03	1.25 ± 0.03	1.19 ± 0.03	1.14^c ± 0.10
	Plantation forest	—	1.15 ± 0.03	1.22 ± 0.03	1.19^bc ± 0.10
Average		1.04^b ± 0.03	1.24^a ± 0.03	1.28^a ± 0.03	1.23 ± 0.10
Total porosity (%)	Barren land	—	49.68 ± 1.05	47.44 ± 1.05	48.56^c ± 1.05
	Cultivated land	58.87 ± 1.05	54.50 ± 1.05	50.28 ± 1.05	54.55^b ± 1.05
	Grassland	63.06 ± 1.05	52.95 ± 1.05	55.24 ± 1.05	57.08^a ± 1.05
	Plantation forest	—	56.69 ± 1.05	54.20 ± 1.05	55.45^ab ± 1.05
Average		60.96^a ± 1.05	53.46^b ± 1.05	51.79^b ± 1.05	53.91 ± 1.05
Soil moisture (%)	Barren land	—	9.08 ± 1.31	9.87 ± 1.31	9.47^b ± 1.31
	Cultivated land	18.98 ± 1.31	13.66 ± 1.31	14.30 ± 1.31	15.65^a ± 1.31
	Grassland	22.62 ± 1.31	14.04 ± 1.31	16.37 ± 1.31	17.67^a ± 1.31
	Plantation forest	—	15.12 ± 1.31	15.55 ± 1.31	15.34^a ± 1.31
Average		20.80^a ± 1.31	12.98^b ± 1.31	14.02^b ± 1.31	14.53 ± 1.31

Overall means within columns and rows followed by the same superscript letter(s) are not significantly different ( < 0.05) as influenced by land use and altitude based on Duncan’s test. Values shown are means ± standard error (n = 3).