Soil and land health monitoring for targeting restoration in degraded farmlands

Cases from Peru and Uganda

Tor-Gunnar Vågen, Valentina Robiglio, Madelon Lohbeck,Clement Okia, Roeland Kindt, Erick Opiyo and Jonathan Cornelius

m.lohbeck@cgiar.org

Restoration- more than planting trees

What to restore (baseline) towards what (target)?

target

Baseline

From:IUCN 2012, Parks Canada 2008

Why indicators for land degradation?

• Assess baseline• Identify priority areas for restoration• Inform appropriate restoration strategies• Monitor progress of restoration

MESSAGESLandscape restoration = multiple scaleDegradation/ resilience = baseline from which to design restoration strategies towardsachievable goals

Mosaic-landscape restoration framework

What makes a good indicator for land degradation?

• Reflects the complex processes of land degradation in landscapes

• Science-based• Measurable• Rapid• Based on field assessment across multiple

scales

Indicators for land degradation usedIndicator Process Method

1. Vegetation cover and tree diversity

Biomass, productivity, soil retention

Ground: tree density and diversity inventoriesAerial: satellite images using Soil Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI)

2. Erosion prevalence (probability)

Soil retention, soil nutrients, risk of landslides

Ground: systematic observationsAerial: satellite images using reflectance spectra

3. Root-depth restrictions (probability, at given depth)

Intensity of landuse (compaction), agricultural productivity, leads to erosion

Ground: Auger-depth measurements, Aerial: satellite images using reflectance spectra

4. Soil organic carbon Carbon sink, soil health, productive capacity

Ground: Soil analyses Aerial: satellite images using reflectance spectra

Uganda

Peru

2 Case studies

2 Case studies

Peru; Ucayali• Extensive cattle raising• Low population pressure• Flat topography, seasonally

flooded• 56% grassland, 17%

cropland, 16% thicket

Uganda; ‘Mbale’• Mosaic of smallholder

farming systems• High population pressure• Mountainous topography,

landslides• 90% cropland, 9% grassland

Indicator 1: Vegetation

Fewer trees (concentrated), high diversity

More trees (spread), high dominance

Indicator 2: Erosion

prevalence

Low erosion prevalence High erosion prevalence

Indicator 3: Root-depth restrictions

Little root-depth restrictions, Overall low water infiltration capacity

High root-depth restrictions, reducing water infiltration capacity

Indicator 4: Soil organic

carbon

Intermediate – high SOC Relatively low SOC

Target restoration strategies with indicators

Peru• Constraints:Low water infiltration and flat topography -> waterlogging

• OpportunitiesFallows- natural regeneration, include enrichment planting with spp that resist waterlogging and provide benefits to farmers (e.g. timber spp)Develop silvopastoral systems with rotational grazing

Uganda• Constraints:High population density, landslides & erosion

• OpportunitiesFurther stimulate agroforestry, enrich by planting native species that enhance soil health (e.g. Fleroya robustipulata, N-fixing species)

Educating farmers on native species through ‘tree finder app’

‘Africa Tree Finder App’

Restoration is a priority• Let’s not forget:– What are we restoring? (baseline)– What are we aiming towards? (targets)– Does our restoration-strategy work? (monitoring)

Good indicators and consistent methods are vital

m.lohbeck@cgiar.org