An investigation of the influence of edaphic, topographic and land-use controls on soil erosion on agricultural land in the Borrowdale and Chinamora areas, Zimbabwe, based on caesium-137 measurements

Soil erosion on agricultural land in two contrasting areas near Harare, Zimbabwe, has been investigated using caesium-137 (137Cs) measurements. The Borrowdale area is characterized by commercial farming and tropical red soils. In contrast, the Chinamora study area is characterized by communal farming and granitic sandy soils. Inter-site contrasts provide an opportunity to examine the influence of land- management and edaphic controls upon erosion at the regional scale. Analysis of intra-site patterns also provides the basis for assessing local controls. In each study area, the role of topographic controls has been assessed by sampling a selection of fields displaying a representative range of topographic attributes. In the Chinamora area the erosional impacts of both pastoral and arable agriculture were examined by sampling grazing land and cultivated fields.The resultant data illustrate the complexity of the erosion pattern and the severity of the problem, and also demonstrate the applicability of the 137Cs technique for reconnaissance level investigation of erosion.

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