Grade 11 Agriculture unit 11: Management of Natural Resources

Carrying capacity is the maximum population level for which a given resource can satisfy the food and shelter requirements without being degraded.

The textbook highlights the bench terrace in Konso as a key traditional practice used on steep slopes to reduce flooding and soil erosion.

The Walia Ibex and Ethiopian Wolf are identified in the unit as two of the most endangered endemic wild animals in Ethiopia due to the destruction of their natural habitats.

Liming adds calcium and magnesium to the soil, which replaces acidic nutrients, increases the pH value, and reduces soil acidity.

Crops such as sorghum, barley, and wheat are relatively salt-tolerant, while rice is sensitive to soil salinity.

In north Shewa, farmers apply indigenous knowledge by building a single line of stones across the farm on slopes of up to 2% to retain soil sediments and slow runoff.

In Gumuz tradition, natural resources are seen as a blessing of Yamba (God) and ancestral heritage. Ownership is vested upon the whole community and cannot be privately possessed by individuals.

Deep percolation is defined as the downward movement of water through the soil below the depth where plant roots can reach.

Growing beans mixed with maize provides superior soil protection because the maize canopy protects against raindrops while the beans provide additional canopy coverage close to the ground.

The textbook specifically lists rice, cowpea, cassava, and mango as acid-tolerant crops that give reasonable yields in acidic soils.