Trends in Soil Erosion and Woody Shrub Encroachment in Ngqushwa District,Eastern Cape Province,South Africa |
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Authors: | Munyaradzi?Manjoro Email author" target="_blank">Vincent?KakemboEmail author Kate?M?Rowntree |
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Institution: | (1) Geosciences Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa;(2) Catchment Research Group, Department of Geography, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa |
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Abstract: | Woody shrub encroachment severely impacts on the hydrological and erosion response of rangelands and abandoned cultivated
lands. These processes have been widely investigated at various spatial scales, using mostly field experimentation. The present
study used remote sensing to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of soil erosion and encroachment by a woody shrub species,
Pteronia
incana, in a catchment in Ngqushwa district, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa between 1998 and 2008. The extreme categories of
soil erosion and shrub encroachment were mapped with higher accuracy than the intermediate ones, particularly where lower
spatial resolution data were used. The results showed that soil erosion in the worst category increased simultaneously with
dense woody shrub encroachment on the hill slopes. This trend is related to the spatial patterning of woody shrub vegetation
that increases bare soil patches—leading to runoff connectivity and concentration of overland flow. The major changes in soil
erosion and shrub encroachment analysed during the 10-year period took place in the 5–9° slope category and on the concave
slope form. Multi-temporal analyses, based on remote sensing, can extend our understanding of the dynamics of soil erosion
and woody shrub encroachment. They may help benchmark the processes and assist in upscaling field studies. |
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