The Effectiveness of Broussonetia Mat in Slope Stabilization and Soil Fertility Improvement
| dc.contributor.author | Abubakar, Muhammed Bin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-02-03T10:25:53Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-20T08:41:32Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-02-03T10:25:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-20T08:41:32Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013-02-03 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Master of Science degree in Environmental Science. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | In order to control soil erosion, different types of erosion control materials are used. This study investigated the effectiveness of using mats made from the bark of the York plant (Broussonetia papyrifera) in controlling soil erosion. The efficiency of the mats were also compared with that of Vetivar grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) and Bahama grass (Cynodon dactylon) as erosion control methods on two types of slope gradients (2.5:1 and 3:1). Vetevra grass and Bahama grass were planted on trial plots, and York jute mats were also laid, and the plots were monitored for the number of channels that developed after rainfall events, the depth of the channels, weight of eroded material, major nutrient content (N, P, K) as well as organic matter, for a period of three months. The results of the study showed that all the erosion control materials used were effective in controlling soil erosion. The Vetevar grass was able to reduce sedimentation, while the Bahama grass was able to reduce the number of channels and to a lesser extent the amount of erodible materials (sediments). The York jute mat was effective in controlling the amount of erodible materials and completely eliminated the creation of erosion channels, and thus performed better as an erosion control material than the Bahama and the Vetivar grasses. The erosion control materials also helped to improve the nutrient status of the soils. The major plant nutrients (N, P, K) and organic matter content of the soils all appreciated considerably for all three materials. The plots treated with York jute mat saw the initial nitrogen concentration increased by nearly 3-folds. Similarly, nitrogen levels in the soils on the plots planted with Bahama grass saw the nitrogen content increasing by 2.5-folds while the nitrogen levels more than doubled on plots treated with Vetevar grass. Generally, the plots treated with York jute mat had the overall highest increments in N, P, K and organic matter followed by the Bahama and Vetivar grasses, in that order. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | KNUST | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/5620 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.title | The Effectiveness of Broussonetia Mat in Slope Stabilization and Soil Fertility Improvement | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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