Factors that influence the implementation of sustainable land management practices by rural households in Tigrai region, Ethiopia

Ecological Processes

Table 2 Classification of SLM practices implemented on farmlands

Type of SLM measures^a	Description	Source
Physical soil and water conservation	Structures that are implemented on farm plots such as soil and stone bund, terraces and trenches	WOCAT 2005; GIZ 2014
Agroforestry practice	Growing multi-purpose trees on farm plots such as fruit trees, animal fodder, and the like	WOCAT 2005; GIZ 2014; Kirui and Mirzabaev 2015
Agronomic practice	Include activities that aim at production and conservation at a time. It includes compost and manure application and other soil fertility management practices	GIZ 2014; WOCAT 2005
Indigenous conservation	Conservation measures that are originated from the local people and that have been practiced for a long time. It includes contour plowing, crop rotation, and fallowing	WOCAT 2005; FAO 2011

^aPhysical soil and water conservation, agro-forestry, and agronomic practice are relatively standardized conservation measures that are promoted by the agricultural and natural resources management extension systems, while the indigenous conservation measures are not standardized and rely on local knowledge. This classification focuses on SLM measures that are dominantly practiced on farm plots by individual households in the study sites.