Impacts of Climate Change on the Spatial Variability of Soil Physicochemical Properties under Varied Land Use in El-Hammam, Northern Egypt | ||
| The Egyptian Science Magazine | ||
| Article 12, Volume 12, Issue 1, December 2025, Pages 132-147 PDF (870.46 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/esm.2025.454995 | ||
| Author | ||
| Sahar M. Ismail* | ||
| Soil Chemistry and Physics Department; Water Resources and Desert Soils Division; Desert Research Center; 1 El-Mathaf St., El-Matreia; Cairo; Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Soil is a vital component of Earth's ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in climate regulation through its functions in carbon and nitrogen cycles and hydrological processes. However, soil systems face increasing threats from the dual pressures of climate change and human activities, endangering their ability to provide essential ecosystem services. This study focuses on the semi-arid El Hammam region of Egypt to provide a comprehensive analysis of soil physicochemical properties across different land uses (agricultural, rangelands, and urban areas), assess climatic trends, and calculate the soil carbon footprint. The findings revealed significant variations in soil properties based on land use and depth. Agricultural soils exhibited relatively better physicochemical characteristics, including lower bulk density, higher porosity, and higher organic carbon and nutrient content, although they still suffered from some salinity and a notable carbon loss over the past three decades. In contrast, rangeland and urban soils showed severe signs of degradation, characterized by high bulk density, low porosity, elevated salinity, and a critical depletion of organic carbon and nutrients. The soil carbon footprint was overwhelmingly negative across all land uses, indicating a substantial loss of stored carbon, especially in rangelands and urban areas, making soils a source of greenhouse gas emissions rather than a carbon sink. Climatic data for the 1991-2021 period confirmed a clear warming trend (increase in maximum and minimum temperatures) and consistently high reference evapotranspiration rates, coupled with low and erratic rainfall. These harsh climatic conditions further exacerbate soil degradation, leading to intensified water stress, salinization, and erosion risks. These interactions highlight critical positive feedback loops between climate change and soil degradation in the region. These findings underscore the urgent need for tailored and sustainable soil management strategies. Recommendations include promoting conservation agriculture practices to enhance soil carbon sequestration in agricultural lands, implementing integrated rangeland management to combat overgrazing and erosion, and deploying green infrastructure solutions in urban areas to restore soil health and carbon storage capacity. Effective water management and the development of salt- and drought-tolerant crop varieties are also crucial for enhancing the region's resilience to climate change. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Soil properties; Climate change; Land use; Carbon sequestration; Soil management; GIS mapping | ||
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