People are turning poor soils into productive soils in West Africa using indigenous innovation

What is it about?

This is about forest island creation in the savanna regions of West Africa. The forest islands refer to patches of forest in savanna ecology often associated with local settlement. It investigates why patches of dense forest, known as forest islands, occur within the open savanna landscapes of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria. The researchers compared the soils of forest islands with nearby croplands and open savannas, examining their minerals, nutrients, and organic carbon. They found that the main soil minerals were broadly similar across the different land uses, suggesting that mineral composition did not directly explain why forest islands developed. However, forest-island soils contained more organic carbon, potassium, and other important nutrients. The findings suggest that long-term human activities that improve soil fertility may have helped create conditions that support the development of these forest islands.

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Why is it important?

This phenomenon or practice is important as it represents the socioeconomic way by which local communities enrich their local environment, thereby turning less productive infertile soils to highly productive soils

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