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Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa
This study investigated the spatial variability of soil moisture as well as changes within the soil profile of different land use types in the Suid Bokkeveld, situated to the south-west of the Nothern Cape, South Africa. This area has been experiencing harsh weather conditions that affect local agri...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
2016
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| _version_ | 1867614154108436480 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Umulisa, Viviane |
| author2 | Winter, Kevin |
| author_browse | Umulisa, Viviane Winter, Kevin |
| author_facet | Winter, Kevin Umulisa, Viviane |
| author_sort | Umulisa, Viviane |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This study investigated the spatial variability of soil moisture as well as changes within the soil profile of different land use types in the Suid Bokkeveld, situated to the south-west of the Nothern Cape, South Africa. This area has been experiencing harsh weather conditions that affect local agricultural production and multiple livelihood activities. The primary aim of the research was to analyse the influence of land use adopted in response to weather and climate change by studying the effects of soil moisture variations in the area. The study found that, together with depth and soil particle size, different types of land use contribute to soil moisture variations. Out of the five types of land uses that were investigated, rooibos cultivated farms had the highest soil moisture variability. The second highest variability was found in grazing cultivated farms and the lowest in natural and grazing never cultivated land, respectively. The results confirm that the shift from rooibos tea and wheat cultivation to grazing has contributed to a reduction in soil moisture variations. The grazing cultivated and fallow system could therefore be an effective land use types to ensure water and soil conservation, reduce land degradation and adapt to weather and climate change. The significance of this study lies in it being one of the first explorations into soil moisture in this area. Other forcing factors will need to include building a comprehensive and integrated understanding of soil moisture variability based on multiple influencing factors. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19992 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:31.730Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| publisherStr | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19992 Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa Umulisa, Viviane Winter, Kevin Climate Change and Development This study investigated the spatial variability of soil moisture as well as changes within the soil profile of different land use types in the Suid Bokkeveld, situated to the south-west of the Nothern Cape, South Africa. This area has been experiencing harsh weather conditions that affect local agricultural production and multiple livelihood activities. The primary aim of the research was to analyse the influence of land use adopted in response to weather and climate change by studying the effects of soil moisture variations in the area. The study found that, together with depth and soil particle size, different types of land use contribute to soil moisture variations. Out of the five types of land uses that were investigated, rooibos cultivated farms had the highest soil moisture variability. The second highest variability was found in grazing cultivated farms and the lowest in natural and grazing never cultivated land, respectively. The results confirm that the shift from rooibos tea and wheat cultivation to grazing has contributed to a reduction in soil moisture variations. The grazing cultivated and fallow system could therefore be an effective land use types to ensure water and soil conservation, reduce land degradation and adapt to weather and climate change. The significance of this study lies in it being one of the first explorations into soil moisture in this area. Other forcing factors will need to include building a comprehensive and integrated understanding of soil moisture variability based on multiple influencing factors. 2016-06-10T07:35:09Z 2016-06-10T07:35:09Z 2015 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19992 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Climate Change and Development Umulisa, Viviane Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| title_full | Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| title_short | Investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in Suid Bokkeveld, South Africa |
| title_sort | investigating the relationship between land use and soil moisture variation in suid bokkeveld south africa |
| topic | Climate Change and Development |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19992 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT umulisaviviane investigatingtherelationshipbetweenlanduseandsoilmoisturevariationinsuidbokkeveldsouthafrica |