2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Examining the effects and safeties of urban trash input for combatingdesertification in Sahel, West Africa
| Project/Area Number |
20681024
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Area studies
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University (2010-2011)
Tokyo Metropolitan University (2008-2009) |
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Principal Investigator |
OYAMA Shuichi 京都大学, 大学院・アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科, 准教授 (00322347)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2008 – 2011
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| Keywords | サヘル / 物質循環 / 砂漠化防止対策 / ニジェール / 人間の安全保障 |
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| Research Abstract |
In developing land rehabilitation methods in Sahel of West Africa, the Hausa farming practice of scattering refuse over the soil for improving soil productivity holds promise. When the fields become degraded, the Hausa scatter livestock manure as well as household refuse and sometimes urban refuse over their land. The organic matter improves the soil quality. The author carried out an in situ experiment, using multiple plots scattered with varying amounts of urban refuse over three years, to quantify the soil improvement effect of the refuse scattering practice, which increased termite activity in the soil as well. According to the plant growth observation, the critical amount of urban refuse was at least 20kg/m2, approximately 2 cm thick on the ground. The results revealed that the Hausa practice was able to regenerate grassland and to prevent soil erosion and exposure of the sedimentary layer. After two years from refuse input, the plant growth began to deteriorate. In order to maintain plant productivity recovered using urban refuse, it is necessary for continuous input of refuse to compensate for nutrition depletion from the plant remove and erosion.
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