Natural recovery of old crop fields in a South African grassland biome

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dc.contributor.authorCoetzer, Willem G.
dc.contributor.authorCoetzer, Kayleigh
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-27T10:40:12Z
dc.date.available2025-10-27T10:40:12Z
dc.date.issued2023-09-18
dc.description.abstractChanging land-use practices have led to an increased rate of cropland abandonment in South Africa. Globally, climate change has increased the need for additional studies on the impact of land abandonment on soil health in arid and semi-arid environments. We, therefore, aimed to measure the changes in soil health with time following abandonment. The study site is located in the Winterberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Standard soil characteristics were assessed for three recovering old crop fields. Samples from the surrounding natural habitat were also included for comparison. Significant positive changes in soil water-holding capacity and carbon and nitrogen characteristics were observed with increased age since abandonment, pointing to soil quality recovery. It will, however, still take a significant amount of time for total recovery to be achieved. Continuous monitoring of old crop fields in agricultural and formally protected areas is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of cropping on soil quality in this region.
dc.description.sponsorshipDepartment of Genetics, University of the Free State, Grant/Award Number: 10.13039/501100004765
dc.identifier.citationCoetzer, W. G., & Coetzer, K. (2023). Natural recovery of old crop fields in a south african grassland biome. Agronomy Journal, 115(6), 2859-2866. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21365
dc.identifier.issn1435-0645
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/3302
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.titleNatural recovery of old crop fields in a South African grassland biome
dc.typeArticle
person.identifier.orcidCoetzer, Willem G. 0000-0003-2189-5539
person.identifier.orcidCoetzer, Kayleigh ?

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