Excerpt
GULLY erosion is a severe problem in the State of Imo, Nigeria. Almost 14.3 million tons (13 million metric tons) of soil are lost annually in this area of 3,500 square miles (9,000 square kilometers), located in the rainforest zone of southeastern Nigeria (1). Unsound farming practices and climatic conditions are the primary factors in the formation of the enormous gullies.
Imo is one of the most densely populated states of Nigeria with more than 1,550 people per square mile (600 people per square kilometer) and a growth rate of 4.5 percent per year. As demand for farmland increases, the rate of soil erosion goes up. Cultivation of marginal land has intensified and continuous cropping is practiced, but adequate soil management practices are not exercised. Large-scale deforestation also contributes to the problem.
A study of the problem
Some gullies in Imo are an estimated 2 miles long (3 kilometers), 1.2 miles wide (2 kilometers), and 400 feet deep (120 meters), but background information is lacking. To determine the extent of the gully erosion problem, a study of 16 gullies throughout the state was made. That study began in 1981 with a field survey …
Footnotes
G. E. Osuji is a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Copyright 1984 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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