Author(s): César, Joaquim
Date: 2014
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/7828
Origin: Repositório da UTL
Subject(s): land suitability; GIS; soil; transhumance; herero_kuvale; Angola
Author(s): César, Joaquim
Date: 2014
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/7828
Origin: Repositório da UTL
Subject(s): land suitability; GIS; soil; transhumance; herero_kuvale; Angola
Doutoramento em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
The land resources of the Arid Sub-Region of Southwestern Angola, where the transhumance extensive grazing is practised by the Kuvale people, were evaluated. From climate, lithology and relief information basic physiographic units were delimitated, being the framework for soils and land mapping units. The land units were subsequently evaluated by a parametric method for transhumance purposes using four land qualities and ten land characteristics. Soils characteristics are strongly dependent on the nature of the respective parent material. The availability of land resources is associated with a rainfall gradient, but with local variations associated with lithology and landforms specificity. About 47% of the land was evaluated as marginally suitable, 43% as moderately suitable and 10% as not suitable for extensive grazing. The first ones are almost exclusively occupied by the Kuvale and the second ones (dominated by the agropastoralists) receive periodically the pastoralists and their herds. Mean annual rainfall and effective soil depth were determinant diagnostic factors for the suitability evaluation. The future of the transhumance system will depend on availability of land resources and framing of Kuvale people in the economy and social development under a resettlement of pastoral spaces.