The Natural Environment and the Livelihoods of People Living in a Mountainous Region of Lesotho

Abstract

Lesotho is a mountainous country in southern Africa where the indigenous people practice both crop cultivation and pastoralism. This paper describes the relationship between the natural environment and the agro-pastoral land use of the region. To precisely clarify the relationship between land use and the natural habitat, the local ecosystems near a village in eastern Lesotho were examined in detail for 6 months. Temperature, soil and landform surveys were conducted. The characteristic landscape of the site was a terrace formation at about 2, 500m above sea level. Settlements were located horizontally along the 2, 600m contour line, separating the steep slope of the mountain and the gentle slope of the terrace. Three distinct land use patterns, each with unique environmental characteristics, were identified: cultivated fields, pastures, and settlements. In cultivated fields, the types of crops cultivated and the average temperature differed according to location. Pasture areas had the most extreme maximum and minimum temperatures, and minimal soil depths. Settlements were located above a cold-air lake that formed nightly, and here the diurnal range of temperatures was the least, indicating relative comfort in these areas.