Trends in Vegetation Degradation in Relation to Land Tenure, Rainfall, and Population Changes in Peddie District, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
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Authors: | VINCENT KAKEMBO |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geographical Sciences, Vista University, Port Elizabeth Campus, Private Bag X613, Port Elizabeth, 6000, South Africa, ZA |
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Abstract: | Spatial and temporal variations in vegetation are examined in relation to land tenure, population increase, and rainfall variation
in a part of Peddie district, Eastern Cape. Sequential aerial photographs between 1938 and 1988 are analyzed to determine
trends in vegetation and population change in three different land-tenure units. The areal extent at each date of four distinct
vegetation categories is determined using PC ARC/INFO GIS. Long-term annual rainfall trends for the area are analyzed and
juxtaposed with vegetation changes. Extensive ground-truthing exercises are carried out to verify the present condition of
vegetation condition in terms of cover and species composition. Differences in land-tenure systems are discerned as the dominant
factor controlling variations in vegetation degradation. The study also reveals that neither population changes nor rainfall
variations can explain the observed trends in vegetation degradation. Earlier injudicious land-use practices, sustained since
the turn of the last century, may provide plausible explanations for the trends and present status of vegetation degradation
in the area. |
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Keywords: | : Vegetation degradation Land tenure Population changes Spatial and temporal variability Rainfall variations Riparian vegetation |
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