Soil erosion and sediment yield from the degraded mzinga River catchment in Uluguru mountains, Tanzania
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Date
2009
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation
Abstract
This paper reports the results of a project
started in 2003/04 undertaken to rehabilitate
the degraded Mzinga River catchment in
Morogoro region, Tanzania by practicing
agroforestry ti improve the environment
health and the socio - economic well-being of
the local community. The land user free
choice catchment conservation approach was
used. Soil erosion measurements and
sediment yield modelling were done to
monitor land use practices that contribute to
catchment degradation. The results showed
very high soil erosion losses on agricultural
lands (33 tons/ha) and low soil losses from
fallow (4.8 tons/ha) and degraded miombo
woodlands (2.4 tons/ha). High soil losses
from fields contribute greatly to high
sediment loads in the Mzinga river averaging
about 17 tons/ha per year. The soil erosion
rates on agricultural land and the sediment
yield rates from the catchment show the
importance of instituting corrective and
sustainable conservation measures to ensure
clean water supply to downstream uses and
sustainable land resources development
projects.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Catchments rehabilitation /conservation, environmental conservation, sediment yield rates, tree planting