Review on the Effects of Land Use on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Ethiopia

Land use is one of the main chauffeurs of many processes of environmental change, as it influences basic resources within the landscape, including the soil resources. Changes in land practice and soil management practice can have a marked effect on soil physical and chemical properties. Depend on the land use soil chemical and physical properties has different effects either positive and negative effects. The purpose of this review paper is to review the effects of land use on the soil physical and chemical properties in Ethiopia. Conversion of land use types from one to another has adverse effects on soil properties, especially overgrazing and cultivation of deforested land. Therefore, the proper soil and water conservation practice are important in the different area to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. The results of different studies indicate that soil on bulk density (BD), particle density (PD) and total porosity (TP) of the cultivated land is highest than that of forest land. But the grassland had lower bulk density than the cultivated land which could be due to restricted grazing at the grassland to harvest fodder and free grazing on crop lands after harvest and continuous ploughing at the same depth of cultivated lands. Different finding suggested that the highest soil pH values of 5.61 and 5.52 in surface soil were found under the grassland; whereas, the lowest pH and also the organic matter of cultivated soil is low from that of forest land and grass land.From the results of the review it was possible to conclude that conversion of forest lands to cultivated and grasslands had detrimental effects on the soil physio-chemical properties under subsistence farming systems of the different area. It is, therefore, recommended that appropriate and integrated land management options for different land use systems are required to sustain agricultural productivity while protecting the environment. Generally, Land use has great effects on soil physical and chemical properties by different it may affect positively or negatively. Keywords: Land use type, soil physical and chemical properties DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/89-02 Publication date: November 30th 202

Narrating social decay: satire and ecology in Ayo Akinfe's Fuelling the Delta Fires

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, 2017This research report conducts a critical examination of Ayo Akinfe’s Fuelling the Delta Fires by paying attention to the writer’s use of satire to highlight social problems such as corruption, deception and exploitation in Nigeria. The focus is on how Akinfe’s novel represents exploitation, waste, and excess that have become normative in a country on the brink of collapse. The work also seeks to identify and critique how Akinfe employs satire to interrogate the syndrome of the ‘big-man’ in Nigeria, showing how their actions contribute to social decay and violence. The research will also examine issues of ecology in the Niger Delta. Ecology has often been construed as a Western ideology that has little resonance within the framework of the African novel. However, this work, tries to show that as the scholarship on ecological humanities has evolved over the years, African alternatives which take account of the unique challenges of the continent have also being developed. Akinfe draws from these proposed models of ecology to focus attention on the ecological issues that are a direct outcome of the exploration of oil in the Niger Delta and by so doing, brings attention to the transgressions of government and multinational corporations who go to great lengths to extract oil in the region. Applying ecocritical examples suggested by scholars like Anthony Vital, Byron Caminero-Santangelo and others, the research report demonstrates how literature has been used as a medium to expose greed that facilitates ecological degradations and how the culture of consumerism affect the daily lives of the inhabitants of the Niger Delta.XL201

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of Marketable Supply of Beef Cattle in Kaffa Zone Southern Ethiopia

The share of meat and other slaughter by-products exported from the overall export commodities is not more than 2% and meat consumption is below the average of Sub-Sahara African countries. So, marketable supply of beef cattle have important role in making better income for smallholder farmers. As a result the study was aimed to investigate the impediment that affects beef cattle marketable supply in Gimbo district. Two- stage sampling technique was employed to pick up 196 target sample respondents from the sample frame in the study area. Multiple linear regression models were used for analysis. As the model result indicates: marketable supply of beef cattle were affected positively by:  number of livestock fattened, sex of household head, perception of current price, access to credit , area of land allocated for grazing ,access to market information and educational status. So, improvement of fattening management systems should be taken in to consideration to increase marketable supply of beef cattle in the study area as well as at country level. Keywords: marketable supply, beef cattle, multiple linear regression models, Gimbo, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/98-02 Publication date:June 30th 202

Fourier Cosine and Sine Transform with Product of Polynomial Function

The purpose of this paper is to provide presumably new properties of Fourier cosine and sine transform of a function with product of a polynomial function. The author presented very short form of general properties of Fourier cosine and sine transform with product of a polynomial function having coefficients which are numbers. Key words: Fourier transform, Fourier cosine transform, Fourier sine transfor

Modified Approach on Similarity Properties of Triangles and Trapezoids

The objective of this note is to provide presumably new technique to explain similarity properties in both triangles and trapezoids respectively. The author presented very short form of general conditions on similarity properties of triangles as well as trapezoids in a very elementary way. Key words: similarity, triangles, trapezoids 2010 Mathematics Subject Classifications: 51A15, 51M20, 51M3

New Approach on Identification of Circular Cone

The objective of this paper is to provide elementary approach for identification of circular cone by using known results. In this paper, the author identified oblique circular cone by considering two different slant heights of a cone, the axis of a cone and larger angle of a triangle which is obtained from the lateral surface of a circular cone. The author found that there are four different types of circular cones namely right circular cone, acute oblique circular cone, right oblique circular cone and obtuse (critical) oblique circular cone by using very elementary ways. Keywords: circle, circular cones, oblique circular cones, triangles

Review on the Role of Integrated Watershed Management for Rehabilitation Degraded Land in Ethiopia

The objective of this paper is to review the Role of Integrated Watershed Management for      Rehabilitation Degraded Land in Ethiopia, Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) has been identified as a key for planning and management of natural resources in mountain ecosystems. It provides an ecologically sound economic base for the watersheds and its people. The livelihood of Ethiopia people living in the watershed cultivated watersheds is being threatened. Policies and strategies must urgently be developed to reverse present trends of land degradation. A recent impact assessment also showed the PSNP public works in  Tigray  region: reduced sediment in streams by40-53% in areas closed to grazing and cultivation; increased woody biomass and forage production three to four-fold; increased water availability and quality; increased ground water recharge and improved downstream base flow of streams; lessened damage from seasonal floods; enhanced down-stream crop production through soil and water conservation interventions; increased stored carbon; increased biodiversity, and increased social cohesion by improving livelihoods. The main challenge facing watershed management is lack of sufficient capacity at all levels of government structures (federal, regional, district and Keeble) to implement the new and sustainable approaches, while the intervention needs of the watersheds.  Agronomic measures include mulching and crop management, which use the effect of surface covers to reduce erosion by water and wind (Morgan, 2005). Some possible agronomic measures are strip cropping, mixed cropping, intercropping, fallowing, mulching, contour plugging, grazing management and agro-forestry. Agronomic conservation measures help in reducing the impact of rain drops through interception and thus increasing infiltration rates and thereby reducing surface runoff. Keywords: land degradation, integrated watershed management, soil and water conservation DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-11-02 Publication date:June 30th 201

Insights into Sheep Genetic Improvement Practices Through Crossbreeding in Ethiopia: Achievements, Challenges and Future Prospects

Crossbreeding is one of the genetic improvement methods that enables to utilize between breed genetic variations. It is one of the main sheep genetic improvement strategies practiced for decades in Ethiopia. This review assessed achievements, challenges and future prospects of sheep genetic improvement through crossbreeding in Ethiopia. The crossbreeding scheme involves crossing of exotic breeds with indigenous as well as between indigenous sheep breeds. To improve growth performance of indigenous sheep, a number of exotic sheep breeds were imported from abroad although literature sources about the performance of crossbreeds is available only for Awassi and Dorper sheep crosses. Promising results have been reported in few areas where crossbreeding has been performed effectively. An evidence for this is the realization of up to 10kg yearling live weight superiority of crossbreeds with 50% and above Awassi and Dorper sheep blood levels over the indigenous sheep. As a national genetic improvement strategy, however, crossbreeding achievement in terms of improving productivity of indigenous sheep is generally minimal. Notably, Absence of well-deigned crossbreeding program, miss-match between genotypes and the environment, and resource limitation to maintain and multiply adequate number of exotic sheep and crossbreeds are the major challenges hindering the success of indigenous sheep genetic improvement through crossbreeding. In the future, the use of crossbreeding as a potential strategy for indigenous sheep genetic improvement relies on bringing long lasting solutions to the current problems. In general, implementing well-designed crossbreeding program, particularly between improved exotic sheep and indigenous sheep, should be the primary focus to improve productivity of indigenous sheep. In this way, the contribution of indigenous sheep resources for the smallholder farmers in particular and the country’s economic growth in general can be maximized. At the same time, protecting the valuable genetic resources of indigenous sheep should be an integral part of the crossbreeding program. Keywords: genetic improvement, indigenous sheep of Ethiopia, sheep crossbreeding DOI: 10.7176/ALST/75-01 Publication date:June 30th 2019

Review on Impacts of Land Degradation on Agricultural Production in Ethiopia

Land degradation is the result of complex interaction among, physical, chemical, biological, socio-economic and political issues of local, national or global nature. Land degradation affects Ethiopian economy and also has many negative impacts on agricultural productivity by reducing the fertility of agricultural land. Land degradation is increasing in severity and extent in many parts of the world, with more than 20% of all cultivated areas, 30% of forests and 10% of grasslands undergoing degradation. Millions of hectares of land per year are being degraded in all climatic regions. It is estimated that 2.6 billion people are affected by land degradation and desertification in more than a hundred countries, influencing over 33% of the earth´s land surface. The global store of arable land and grazing land continuous to decline through urbanization, un sustainable agriculture practices and deforestation, while, significant portion of the remaining arable land and grazing land is under considerable pressure from compaction by livestock and farm implements, over use of fertilizers and pesticides, Salinization, alkalization or acidification depletion of nutrients, water and wind erosion, deterioration of drainage.  The velocity of land degradation is high due to, Improper tillage operation on the land, Poor managements of land, The attitude of the community about the consequences of land degradation on agricultural productivity, Lack of knowledge of the farmers about the main biological, physical and mechanical methods of land conservation. The agricultural impacts of land degradation are, loss of soil nutrient, Soil erosion effects, reduction of crop yield, silting up of reservoir and It also contributes to persistent poverty, and results in decreasing ecosystem resilience e and provision of environmental services. In addition, environmental decline due to land degradation adversely affects the health, well-being and livelihood opportunities of the individuals. Keywords: Land degradation, Agricultural impacts DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/57-03 Publication date:July 31st 201

Female Characters in Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to Our Hillbrow and Niq Mhlongo's Dog Eat Dog

This article examines two novels by Phaswane Mpe and Niq Mhlongo, Welcome to Our Hillbrow and Dog Eat Dog, by focusing on how they portray post-apartheid South African women and their experiences during and after the fall of apartheid. Set in the early years of South Africa’s democracy, these novels can be read from a feminist perspective, which offers an opportunity to investigate the condition of black South African women and their struggle in the context of the legacies of apartheid and the persisting male domination. The article employs postcolonial feminism as an approach and studies the two novels comparatively to see how the authors depict South African women in the face of double colonization and how they stand up to it. As the analysis indicates, Mpe and Mhlongo have voiced the plight of South African women through female characters that have continued to carry the burden of the legacy of apartheid and the persistence of patriarchy in the post-apartheid era. They have also demonstrated the resilience of women by featuring characters that reject exploitation and seize the opportunities offered by the newly-democratized nation