Soil Mapping And Classification: A Case Study In The Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Soil map is one of the basic tools for planning any agricultural development. Soil maps are even more effective and productive for natural resources evaluation. Moreover, remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) have added different concepts and enforcements to soil classification. This study aimed to produce soil maps following different classification systems (Soil Taxonomy and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources) and to define the spatial distribution and characteristics of the soil in the study area, which is deemed indispensable for any future development planning. This work was part of the 29th Professional Master Course at the Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare (IAO), Florence, Italy. The study was carried out in the Kilte Awulaelo district, located in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The area is characterized by different topographies and geomorphologies with diverse agro-ecological conditions. Eleven main soil groups and sixty soil types were identified in the study area. The main soil groups are: Leptosols, Vertisols, Fluvisols, Stagnosols, Kastanozems, Phaeozems, Calcisols, Luvisols, Arenosols, Cambisols and Regosols. Regosols and Cambisols are the dominant soils in the study area; these are characteristic soils of rainfed agriculture and are affected by erosion. The spatial distribution map of each soil group was very helpful to relate soil characteristics to soil forming factors. Lastly, GIS and remote sensing were very effective tools in this study and gave higher value for the final study results.