The Effect of Soil Loss on Selected Ecosystem Services in the Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Ecosystem services are vital for the wellbeing of all life on the earth’s surface. Among these productivity, availability of water and fuel wood access, land use/cover and natural hazard regulation are the most prominent ecosystem services. However, soil loss resulted from soil erosion affects the environment. This study was conducted in Quashay watershed to analyze effects of soil loss on ecosystem services. Face-to-face interview and focus group discussion was used for data collection. Statistical Product and Services Solutions version 20 was used to analyze impacts of soil loss through Chi-square test and Rank index was used for prioritizing watershed problems. The result shows soil loss have high significant impacts on productivity of land, availability of water and fuel wood access (p<0.01) and have significant effects on land use/cover change (p<0.05). Crop diseases with rank index of 0.16 and soil erosion by water with rank index of 0.16were the major problems. Soil loss rate was very severe and have substaintial negative impacts on the ecosystem servies.We recommend that intensive work is required on soil erosion control and crop disease management.

Keywords: Ecosystem service; Quashay watershed; Soil loss; Ethiopia