Ecological Studies on Agricultural Landuse in North Tanzania, East Africa

In the area between Endamagha and Mto wa mbu of North Tanzania, East Africa, I conducted this ecological study to clarify relationships between landuse, geomorphology, soils, and erosion. Four soil types were observed in the area studied. The reddish brown soil occurs in the steep-sloping area of more than 1420m in altitude and in the valley of less than 1450m in altitude. The greyish brown soil occurs in the comparatively flat area of 1060-1190m in altitude. The brown soil occurs in the plateau of 1290-1480m in altitude and in the valley of less than 1450m in altitude. The black soil occurs only in the swampy area of Endamagha. The gully erosion develops in the upper parts of the slope, in which the reddish brown soil and the brown soil occur. The following four landuse types were observed: small-scaled dry field farming, large-scaled dry field farming, charcoal making and cultivation in the swamp. The land in the study area is agriculturally divided into the non-irrigation cultivation land and the irrigation cultivation land, mainly from the rainfall. The border between both lands is considered to be about 1400m in altitude. In the non-irrigation cultivation land, where the wheat and the maize are being cultivated, some measures to counter erosion are being taken. For all that, the erosion is still developing there. It is considered that the development of erosion is due to that the present agricultural landuse is not suitable for the ecological conditions of this land

Agricultural land · Agriculture · Agroforestry · Altitude (triangle) · Biology · Erosion · Geography · Hydrology (agriculture) · Irrigation · Land use · Swamp · Agriculture and Rural Development Research · Ecology · Environmental Science · Geology