Community Knowledge, Land Use Practices, and Fungal Microbial Volume in Soil from Protected and Non-Protected Areas of Itigi District, Tanzania
Paper Details
Community Knowledge, Land Use Practices, and Fungal Microbial Volume in Soil from Protected and Non-Protected Areas of Itigi District, Tanzania
Abstract
Soil fungal microorganisms are vital for soil health and ecosystem balance, are highly threatened by human. Unsustainable land use practices such as improper land tillage and crop residue management, excessive use of industrial inorganic fertilizer and pesticide, overgrazing and deforestation lead soil degradation and disruption of fungal microbial activities. This study explores a case of Itigi District in Tanzania to determine the relationship between community knowledge, land use practices, and fungal microbial volume in soils from farmland and protected areas. Soil fungal isolation were done using Potato Dextrose Agar with streptomycin sulfate. A structured questionnaire collected information from 150 participants to assess knowledge. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. Results show that gender (female), higher education level, increase in income level and practical knowledge positively influences the adoption of practices that enhance soil fungal microbial activities. It also shows that protected forest soils have higher fungal volume compared to farmlands. This study underscores the need for awareness campaigns on sustainable soil management practices and the promotion of the use of organic manure to maintain soil fertility and ecosystem balance. Females showed a statistically significant difference in the use of organic manure (P=0.0364).Moreover, comparison of CFU/mL mean 4.175×10⁶ and 1.308×10⁷ from non-protected and protected areas respectively revealed that protected areas consistently exhibited higher fungal microbial growth, probably attributed by minimal human disturbance and richer organic matter. The study concludes that sustainable soil fungal management is essential for soil health and ecosystem services, with protected areas demonstrating superior fungal volume. Raising awareness about responsible land use practices is crucial for maintaining these vital microbial communities.
Alyokhin A, Nault B, Brown B. 2020. Soil conservation practices for insect pest management in highly disturbed agro ecosystems a review. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 168(1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12863
Babasola OJ, Olaoye IJ, Alalade OA, Matanmi BM, Olorunfemi OD. 2018. Factors affecting the use of organic fertilizer among vegetable farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 16(1), Article 1. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjags/article/view/182373
Basnyat B. 2009. Impacts of demographic changes on forests and forestry in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok, FAO of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/rap/files/APFSOS/200908Demographic_study.
Chen W, Wang J, Chen X, Meng Z, Xu R, Duoji D, Zhang J, He J, Wang Z, Chen J. 2022. Soil microbial network complexity predicts ecosystem function along elevation gradients on the Tibetan Plateau. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 172, 108766.
Daunoras J, Kačergius A, Gudiukaitė R. 2024. Role of soil microbiota enzymes in soil health and activity changes depending on climate change and the type of soil ecosystem. Biology 13(2), 85.
Dukpa R, Tiwari A, Kapoor D. 2020. Biological management of allelopathic plant Parthenium sp. Open Agriculture 5(1), 252–261. https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2020-0027
Frąc M, Hannula SE, Bełka M, Jędryczka M. (2018). Fungal biodiversity and their role in soil health. Frontiers in Microbiology 9, 707.
García De León D, Davison J, Moora M, Öpik M, Feng H, Hiiesalu I, Jairus T, Koorem K, Liu Y, Phosri C, Sepp S, Vasar M, Zobel M. 2018. Anthropogenic disturbance equalizes diversity levels in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities. Global Change Biology 24(6), 2649–2659. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14131
Isinika A, Jeckoniah J, Mdoe N, Mwajombe K. 2021. Sunflower commercialisation in Singida region: Pathways for livelihood improvement. APRA Working Paper, 67. https://www.academia.edu/download/98262534/APRA_Working_Paper_67_SunflowerCommercialisation_Singida_Region_Livelihood_Improvement.pdf
Jekayinfa SO, Adebiyi KA, Waheed MA, Owolabi OO. 2005. Appraisal of farm tractor maintenance practices and costs in Nigeria. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering 11(2), 152-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552510510601357
Jinger D, Kaushal R, Kumar R, Paramesh V, Verma A, Shukla M, Chavan SB, Kakade V, Dobhal S, Uthappa AR. 2023. Degraded land rehabilitation through agroforestry in India: Achievements, current understanding, and future prospectives. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11, 1088796.
Kanjanja SM, Mosha DB, Haule SC. 2022. Determinants of the implementation of agroecological practices among smallholder farmers in Singida district, Tanzania. European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences 4(5), 152–159.
Khaliq S, Rahim Z, Ali A, Gul MT, Akram S, Arshad M. 2023. Study of Wheat Genotypes for Yield and Associated Traits. The Sciencetech 4(4). https://journals.qurtuba.edu.pk/ojs/index.php/tst/article/view/8589
Kodiwo MO, Otieno CA, Ang’awa F. 2015. Effects of farmers’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics on soil degradation in different physiographic units of Nyakach Sub-county, Kenya.
Liu J, Zhang J, Li D, Xu C, Xiang X. 2020. Differential responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities to mineral and organic fertilization. Microbiology Open, 9(1), e00920. https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.920
Majule AE, Maganga FP, Abdalah J. 2012. Implications of landuse /cover changes over three decades on community livelihoods within the context of REDD: A case study of Mgori forest in Singida [Technical Report]. CCIAM. https://www.taccire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/70
Muluneh MW, Talema GA, Abebe KB, Dejen Tsegaw B, Kassaw MA, Teka Mebrat A. 2022. Determinants of Organic Fertilizers Utilization Among Smallholder Farmers in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. Environmental Health Insights, 16, 11786302221075448. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302221075448
Piepenbring M, Maciá-Vicente JG, Codjia JEI, Glatthorn C, Kirk P, Meswaet Y, Minter D, Olou BA, Reschke K, Schmidt M, Yorou NS. 2020. Mapping mycological ignorance – checklists and diversity patterns of fungi known for West Africa. IMA Fungus 11(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43008-020-00034-y
Ren C, Liu K, Dou P, Shao X, Zhang D, Wang K, Liu X, Li J, Wang K. 2022. Soil Nutrients Drive Microbial Changes to Alter Surface Soil Aggregate Stability in Typical Grasslands. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 22(4), 4943–4959. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00972-z
Satyanarayana T, Deshmukh SK, Deshpande, MV. (Eds.). 2019. Advancing Frontiers in Mycology & Mycotechnology: Basic and Applied Aspects of Fungi. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9349-5
Sharma N, Samarakoon KW, Gyawali R, Park, YH, Lee SJ, Oh SJ, Lee TH, Jeong DK. 2014. Evaluation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities of Euphorbia hirta ethanolic extract. Molecules, 19(9), 14567–14581.
Srivastava P, Sachan K, Baskar P, Saikanth D. RK, Lytand W, Kumar RKMH, Singh BV. (2023). Soil Microbes Expertly Balancing Nutrient Demands and Environmental Preservation and Ensuring the Delicate Stability of Our Ecosystems- A Review. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 35(18), 989–1000. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2023/v35i183363
Sterkenburg E, Clemmensen KE, Ekblad A, Finlay RD, Lindahl BD. 2018. Contrasting effects of ectomycorrhizal fungi on early and late stage decomposition in a boreal forest. The ISME Journal, 12(9), 2187–2197.
Van De Wetering J, Leijten P, Spitzer J, Thomaes S. 2022. Does environmental education benefit environmental outcomes in children and adolescents? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology 81, 101782.
Zelleke G, Agegnehu G, Abera D, Rashid S. (2019). Fertilizer and soil fertility potential in Ethiopia. Gates Open Research 3(482), 482.
Regina Jacob, Akida Meya, Francis Moyo, Ernest Mbega (2024), Community Knowledge, Land Use Practices, and Fungal Microbial Volume in Soil from Protected and Non-Protected Areas of Itigi District, Tanzania; IJB, V25, N4, October, P181-192
https://innspub.net/community-knowledge-land-use-practices-and-fungal-microbial-volume-in-soil-from-protected-and-non-protected-areas-of-itigi-district-tanzania/
Copyright © 2024
By Authors and International
Network for Natural Sciences
(INNSPUB) https://innspub.net
This article is published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0