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Farmers' perceptions of the role of scattered vegetation in wind erosion control on arable land in Burkina Faso
Author(s) -
Leenders J. K.,
Visser S. M.,
Stroosnijder L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.657
Subject(s) - vegetation (pathology) , arable land , erosion control , agroforestry , erosion , aeolian processes , environmental science , windbreak , competition (biology) , geography , hydrology (agriculture) , agriculture , ecology , geology , medicine , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , pathology , geomorphology , biology
This paper describes the results of a survey on farmers' perceptions of the effect of woody natural vegetation on wind erosion. Sixty farmers were interviewed in three villages in northern Burkina Faso. The farmers mentioned that the presence of woody vegetation between the crops could benefit yield, but feared competition between the natural vegetation and the crop. Vegetation in a field was considered to increase deposition and decrease erosion on that field. The most important vegetative characteristics that affect wind erosion were, according to the farmers, vegetation's shape, porosity, flexibility and arrangement of the vegetation in the field. At present, most farmers do not apply this knowledge to the management of the natural woody vegetation on their fields. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.