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.
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.
Hey Walter!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I wanted to say that it was a great location to pick because it is outside of the US and not many people would know a great amount about the area. Concerning your blog, the pictures made it much easier to understand all that happened with the flash flood and the devastation it left. The other pictures help as well. I wish, however, that you explained more about the specific type of soil it had because it may have been easier to comprehend the area with knowing the soil type. I understood that there was a lot of vegetation in the area, but not quite how the soil helps and saying the specific soil would help with that. It was smart of put in a professional article that talks about the place and that you explained what it said just in case people didn't read it. Overall I liked your blog, but I feel like if you explained more of the substances of the location it would make for a easier read. :)
~Kristen Matter