Item Details

Title: Influence of soil properties on landslide occurrences in Bududa district, Eastern Uganda

Date Published: 2009
Author/s: M. G. Kitutu, A. Muwanga, J. Poesen and J. A. Deckers
Data publication:
Funding Agency :
Copyright/patents/trade marks: Academic Journals
Journal Publisher: African Journal of Agricultural Research
Affiliation: National Environment Management Authority, P.O. Box 22255, Kampala, Uganda.
2Department of Geology, Makerere University, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
3Department of Geography and Geology, Geo-institute, Celestijnenlaan 200e B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
4Department of Land Management and Economics, Celestijnenlaan 200e B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
Keywords: Soil types, soil horizon, infiltration, landslides, Bududa district.

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to carry out a detailed soil survey to determine soil types and their influence
on landslide occurrence in Bududa District in eastern Uganda. Four transects were chosen following
zones with and without landsides. Soil profile description and classification was done using FAO
methods. Infiltration rates were measured as described by Landon in 1991. Results show that the soil
types are those conditioned by topography and tropical climate namely Nitisols, Cambisols, Lixisols,
Ferralsols, Leptosols, Gleysols, and Acrisols. Soil type was not significant in landslide occurrences.
However soil texture in the horizons was significant in some of the landslides especially in the western
zone. One factor that was common to all soils sampled in the western side was the same soil texture of
clay down the profile and the subsequent absence of landslides in the surroundings of the profiles. In
the eastern zone soil profile horizon is significant in some of the landslides but in the shallow
landslides the slope and the shallow depth which creates a discontinuity between the saprolite and the
rock causing water stagnation is the main influence. The clay minerals present are high plasticity clays; Kaolinite and Illite.