Soil carbon sequestration through community-managed exclosures in Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Exclosure management is widely promoted for restoring degraded lands in Tigray. However, quantitative evidence on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and associated livelihood benefits remains limited. This study assessed effects of exclosures on SOC content, soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) and community benefits. A comparative analysis was conducted between exclosures and adjacent grazing lands using soil samples collected from three soil depths (0–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm) and three slope positions. SOC was determined using the Walkley–Black method, while bulk density (BD) was measured using the core method. SOCS was calculated from SOC, BD and soil depth. Socioeconomic data were collected through household surveys and focus group discussions. Results showed that exclosures significantly (p < 0.05) improved soil conditions, reducing BD from 1.29 to 1.10 g cm⁻³ and increasing SOC from 0.94% to 1.95%, which led to doubling of SOCS from 33.2 to 64.5 Mg ha⁻¹. In addition, local communities reported improved environmental conditions and enhanced livelihood benefits associated with exclosures. Overall, the findings demonstrate that exclosures enhance soil carbon sequestration, improve soil quality and support rural livelihoods, providing strong evidence for their wider adoption in land restoration and climate-change mitigation strategies in Tigray and similar dryland regions.