The Mass Wasting and Soil of Tanzania

Although this region may not necessarily be known for it's mass wasting events there are several examples of landslides and floods throughout the region. In fact, recently in December of 2011, massive amounts of rain were blamed for landslides that happened across the region.

 http://www.who-eatlas.org/africa/countries/united-republic-of-tanzania/united-republic-of-tanzania-landslide-map.html
Pictured above is the threat assessment for lanslides in Tanzania. Orange is high risk, yellow is medium risk, light green is low risk and dark green is very low.

Floods also torment the people who live in this region on occasion as well.

In Tanzania, a road was destroyed by a flash flood.

The type of soil that Tanzania has as well as the steep slopes contribute to these mass wasting events. Although, the soil might become dangerous with enough rainfall, the soil also contributes to the massive amount of vegetation and animal life that can be found in this region. A large amount of vegetation and diversity can be found in and around Ngorongoro crater, which can partially be explaned by the soil. This topic is explored in detail by G.D. Anderson and D.J. Herlocker in The Journal of Ecology.  http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2258640?uid=3739568&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55857977373 They say that "The species composition, height, cover and rooting depth of the grasslands reflect soil aeration and soil reaction". The article goes on to say that soil has more influence over the vegetation than humans or animals. "Though man and animals affect the vegetation by burning and grazing, the influence of soil is thought to be predominant." The soil of the crater is influenced by the ancient active volcanic activity.

                Soil is partially responsible for the lush variety of fauna found in Ngorongoro crater.