Land Use, Vegetation Type and Erosion Patterns in Selected Catchments of the Keiskamma River Basin, Eastern Cape

Abstract

The southern African region is designated as an area which is susceptible to soil erosion. This is particularly true for the former Ciskei, where it is estimated that 4 7 % of the area is moderately to severely eroded (Ciskei Commission, 1980). The Keiskamma River Basin is located entirely within the borders of the former Ciskei in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The river basin is populated by rural settlements with limited water resources. Five small catchment areas with a variety of environmental conditions were selected for study. The following aspects were assessed for each catchment selected.