Initiation and maintenance of degraded landscape in the Sinamatella area of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The paper reports a survey of erosion levels in the Sinamatella area of the Hwange National Park of Zimbabwe, a region that has experienced various levels of human activity in the past. Based on correlative analyses, present erosion patterns have probably been exacerbated by past human activity but are probably now maintained by local high concentrations of a native grazer. The study was carried out on Madumabisa mudstones inColophospermum mopanewoodland, where about 25% of the study area shows signs of erosion. The erosion is concentrated in areas around hills where formerly there was much human activity. The eroded areas have low grass and litter cover, are highly compacted and have low levels of organic matter. Some herbivores, notably impala, concentrate on eroded areas and thus maintain these areas in a degraded state.