| Blowing sands in the Sahelian zone of West Africa cause severe agricultural and health problems for the local population. If this soil erosion is not adequately controlled, food security of the Sahelian people will be endangered in the near future. The much promoted technical measures for wind erosion control have proved to be insufficient. According to Sahelian farmers, natural vegetation of scattered trees and shrubs potentially provides adequate wind erosion control. But, much of this vegetation has been removed during the past few decades, and it is currently unknown what the optimal vegetation density is for sufficient soil protection in Sahelian farming systems. This project will evaluate the tree and shrub species occurring in the Sahel, determine their efficacy in reducing wind speed and san transport, adapt an existing model to describe the effects of sparse and scattered vegetation on wind erosion, and design alternative land management systems that effectively control sand transport. The work consist of a literature study, a vegetation survey, interviews with farmers, field experiments, and modelling. The fieldwork is carried out in the Sahelian zone of Niger, in collaboration with two interantional research institutes. Extension of the results will be done through the connections of these Sahelian institutes with local organisations and projects. |
