Land degradation in the Cathedral Peak area of the Natal Drakensburg : 1945 to 1992

This report describes a study of land degradation in adjacent portions of land comprising a section of the Cathedral Peak State Forest (park and private land) and segments of three wards of the former Kwazulu homeland district of Okhahlamba. The study region is known as the Cathedral Peak Area. The report aims to describe and account for the historical development of land degradation in the Okhahlamba District using the Cathedral Peak Area as a case study. Sequential aerial photographs from 1945, 1964 and 1992 were employed to conduct a temporal comparison of area effected by changes in number of homesteads, area of cultivation, forests, eroded areas or surfaces and gullies and drainage density. The results show that for number of homesteads and cultivated area in the Cathedral Peak Area, there has been an exponential (geometric) and constant (arithmetic) increase respectively during the period under investigation. These increases in anthropogenic activities in the Cathedral Peak Area have resulted in a consequent increase in pressure on environmental resources of the area.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Year dc:date.issued

1995

Author dc:creator

• Asmal, Osman Ebrahim

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Meadows, Michael E

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13828

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13828