Linking Land Degradation and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ecosystem degradation through conversion and unsustainable use of natural resources has led to reduced ecosystem services such as agricultural production. Assessing how land-use practices contribute to land degradation requires systematic sampling and analysis efforts. Co-located biophysical surveys and agronomic trials were carried out at five 100 km² sentinel sites in three countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The Land Degradation Surveillance Framework was conducted to assess the current status of land degradation, using key metrics such as erosion prevalence, root depth restrictions and soil organic carbon. Diagnostic agronomic trials were carried out within the sites to identify key constraints affecting crop yield and growth response. These data illustrate that linking spatially explicit soil fertility and land degradation status give a holistic assessment of factors affecting agricultural productivity.