Advances in soil erosion, soil conservation, land suitability evaluation and land use planning research in South Africa, 1978–2003

Laker, M. C.

doi:10.1080/02571862.2004.10635069

Cited by 82 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Our data show that increases in rainfall erosivity have significantly enhanced the amount of soil lost within the TRHR (R = 0.854, p < 0.01), an outcome with clear conservation implications. It is clear that vegetation coverage is a key factor in soil conservation [57,58]; our results show that increases in vegetation cover (measured by NPP) are positively correlated with controlling soil erosion (R = 0.217, p < 0.01). Similarly, the amount of exported P is a function of precipitation and hydrological conditions and is also positively correlated with rainfall erosivity (R = 0.161, p < 0.01); at the same time, the amount of exported P is rarely correlated with precipitation.…”

Section: Climate Changementioning

confidence: 66%

Trade-Offs and Synergies in Ecosystem Service within the Three-Rivers Headwater Region, China

Han

Song

Deng

et al. 2017

Water

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Abstract:The Three-Rivers Headwaters region (TRHR) is an ecological shelter located in the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, China, that provides environmental protection and regional sustainable development. This region also provides ecosystem services including water supply and soil conservation and exerts major impacts on both its surroundings, as well as the whole of China. A number of ecological restoration projects have been initiated within the TRHR since 2000, including the creation of a natural reserve. Analyses of trends in land use/land cover (LULC), net primary productivity (NPP), water yield and soil conservation within the TRHR are presented based on regional climate and land use datasets and utilizing the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model in tandem with the double mass curve (DMC) approach. The results of this study reveal a series of correlations between ecosystem services and lead to four distinct conclusions. First, the amount of variation between 2000 and 2012 in each LULC type within the TRHR was small. In particular, grassland substitution occurred in high-altitude areas and increased in central areas. Second, NPP, water yield, soil conservation amount and the volume of exported phosphorus (P) decreased along an east-west gradient with values of 64.44%, 38.81%, 7.37% and −49.98% recorded, respectively, between 2000 and 2012. The ecosystem services of the Yellow River basin to the east of the TRHR generally improved over the study period, while those of the Yangtze River and Lancang River basins where enhanced to a lesser extent, and obvious degradation was observed in some local areas. Third, the ecosystem services provided by forested land were highest, followed by grassland and cultivated land, respectively. Fourth, synergistic relationships were observed within the TRHR between NPP, water yield and soil conservation amount, indicating that increasing NPP simultaneously increased the values for these related factors. Synergistic relationships were also recorded between water yield and the amount of exported P, suggesting that increases in the former cause a reduction in water purity.

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Section: Climate Changementioning

confidence: 66%

Trade-Offs and Synergies in Ecosystem Service within the Three-Rivers Headwater Region, China

Han

Song

Deng

et al. 2017

Water

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“…This combination of kaolinite and smectite makes these soils highly prone to disaggregation and compaction (Stern, 1990) (Table 4). The soils at Sites 1 and 2 also have significant quantities of quartz in their clay fractions, which make them extremely prone to diaggregation and subsoil compaction (Laker, 2004).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On this evidence, the Oakleaf soils of Sites 1 and 3 should be highly prone to disaggregation and compaction (Table 3). It has been found that soils with high quartz contents in their clay fractions are found widespread in South Africa (Laker, 2004). In addition, soils with high quartz contents in their clay fractions are extremely prone to disaggregation, crusting and erosion (Bühmann et al, 1996) and also to sub-surface compaction (Moolman & Weber, 1978).…”

Section: Compactibility Of the Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the Impact of Off-Road Driving on Root-Area Distribution in Soils

Nortjé

Hoven

Laker

et al. 2016

African Journal of Wildlife Research

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Studies on the effects of off-road driving on soils were conducted in the Makuleke Contractual Park of the Kruger National Park. The studies were conducted on three different soils with different textures and soil compactibilities. Traffic pressure was applied with a game drive vehicle loaded with 10 sand bags, each weighing 70 kg, plus the driver. This gave a total vehicle mass of 3795 kg, simulating a vehicle fully laden with tourists. The results of the study reported here included comparing of the effects of four different tyre pressures on the root area distribution below each tyre pressure. At all sites, root density fractions under the tracks were reduced significantly at all tyre pressures, compared with the control values. Results indicated that root penetration percentage and root area distribution were reduced drastically as tyre pressure increased. Our work reaffirms previous research showing that higher tyre pressures cause higher sub-soil compaction than lower tyre pressures. Thus, driving with lower tyre pressures when driving off-road should be considered when developing management strategies for off-road driving in wildlife protected areas.

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“…Dardis et al (1988) provide a review of soil erosion forms in southern Africa, with a strong focus on gully erosion. More recently Laker (2004) has reviewed soil erosion research since the late 1970s. The national picture is reviewed in Boardman et al (2012).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term studies of land degradation in the Sneeuberg uplands, eastern Karoo, South Africa: A synthesis

et al. 2017

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For the past 15 yr, the Sneeuberg uplands in the eastern Karoo, South Africa, have been a focus for research on land degradation by the above authors and other colleagues. Earlier work in the Karoo emphasised vegetation change whereas we concentrate on physical changes to the landscape at the small catchment scale, e.g., bare, degraded areas (badlands) and gully (donga) systems. Analysis of sedimentation in farm dams allows for reconstruction of environmental histories using 210 Pb, 137 Cs, geochemical and mineral magnetic properties of the sediments. Erosion rates on badlands are monitored using arrays of erosion pins. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 Sediment source tracing within small catchments points to the importance of hillslope sources and the relative erosional inactivity of gully systems.Sediment supply from hillslope and colluvial sources is maintained by high rates of weathering on mudstones and sandstones. Current degradation should be viewed in the context of a c. 200 yr history of overgrazing by European-style stock farming and limited areas of former cultivation in the valleys. Grazing pressures are now much reduced but the loss of soils and vegetation suggests that landscape recovery will require several decades.Additional drivers of past degradation are likely to have been periods of drought and fire (natural and managed) and a gradual increase in both rainfall intensity and the frequency of extreme rainfall events. The future of the degraded Sneeuberg landscape will depend on future farming practices. Desirable options include more sustainable livestock practices, adoption of wildlife farming and other more benign regimes involving mixes of agriculture, tourism, and wildlife protection together with landscape rehabilitation measures.

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Advances in soil erosion, soil conservation, land suitability evaluation and land use planning research in South Africa, 1978–2003

Cited by 82 publications

References 20 publications

Trade-Offs and Synergies in Ecosystem Service within the Three-Rivers Headwater Region, China

Trade-Offs and Synergies in Ecosystem Service within the Three-Rivers Headwater Region, China

Quantifying the Impact of Off-Road Driving on Root-Area Distribution in Soils

Long-term studies of land degradation in the Sneeuberg uplands, eastern Karoo, South Africa: A synthesis

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