Land Use and its Management, Indigenous and Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies in Kloto District, (Togo, West Africa)

Abstract

This study established firstly, forest reference level in terms of land area extent as well as area losses and gains through the transitions across forest, cocoa agroforestry, cassava, maize, settlement and other land uses in the Kloto district (Togo). The pixel-based classification was adopted and combined with the extended change matrix quantity and intensity analysis using three years within a 32-years period (1985–2017), and field datasets. Results indicated an active forest loss (19.5%) with dormant gain (0.8%). Forest is involved in most transitions as the most targeted category with the largest transition being from forest to cocoa agroforestry while, the lowest transitional change occurred from forest, cocoa agroforestry, maize, cassava and settlement to unclassified classes (e.g. road, water body) and vice versa. Other important transition categories were from forest to settlement, cassava and maize. Secondly, it investigated smallholder’s climate change perception, proximate drivers of cropland and forest degradation for implementing climate smart agricultural systems. Net change analysis of land use was associated with quantitative analysis from participatory survey data with farmers and landowners. Results revealed, poor agricultural systems and cassava farming as major factors contributing to the alarming forest losses between 1985 and 2017. A significant net loss in forest cover of 23.6% and area losses under maize and cocoa agroforestry farming of 12.99% and 10.1% between 1985 and 2017were observed, respectively. These significant losses are due to intensive cassava cropping (38.78%) and settlement expansion (7.87%). Based on participatory surveys, the majority of agricultural lands are threatened by erosion or physical deterioration (67.5%), land degradation and loss of micro/macro fauna and flora (56.7%), declines in soil fertility (32.5%) and soil water holding capacity (11.7%), and changes in soil texture (3.3%). Most farmers adhere to the proposed climate smart practices, with an emphasis on cost-effective drip irrigation systems (45.83%), soil mulching (35%), and the adoption of drought-resilient varieties (29.17%). Lastly, time series of land use transitions allowed for an assessment of soil organic carbon density (SOCD) gains, losses and emissions using matrix of land use change and point-based emission and removal estimators. Data were collected using land use transition experiment plots, slope gradient composite soil sampling methods across forest and agricultural lands within, the same soil unit and climatic zones. The analysis of variance (p=5%, Fpr<0.001) revealed low SOCD (MgCha-1) under maize (54.33) and cassava (52.98) compared to cocoa agroforestry (169.52) and forest (189.34) plots. Based on land use change observed between 1985 and 2017, the transition of forest and cocoa agroforestry to cassava and maize depicted high carbon dioxide release of up to 100,059 and 74,192 for cassava and 5,342 and 5,227 MgCO2ey-1for maize, respectively. Whereas the transition from maize to forest sequestered more carbon (1,423MgCO2ey-1) compared to the transition from cocoa agroforestry and cassava to forest which, accounted for 626 and 404 MgCO2ey-1, respectively. In terms of carbon release and sequestration over 32-year, results showed slightly higher carbon sequestration through the transition of cassava and maize to agroforestry than to forest. Significant losses were estimated for the transition from forest and cocoa agroforestry to maize and cassava mono-cropping. Results revealed mono-cropping of annual crops without residue return after forest or cocoa agroforestry transitions as main driver of soil carbon loss and CO2e release. Consequently, site-specific integrated landscape management and dissemination of climate-smart agricultural practices like agroforestry are promising options to considerably reduce GHG emissions in Kloto District.