Get reliable rangeland science

Arid regions worldwide, including the drier areas of the Western Cape of South Africa, often suffer from rangeland degradation resulting from poor management, mining activities or other anthropogenic sources of disturbance. Without active restoration intervention, these areas may take a considerable amount of time to recover. Digging hollows as a form of active restoration has been successfully applied to restore vegetation to denuded areas in arid regions around the world. However, the effect of these holl ows on soil surface temperature has yet to be determined. To determine the role of restoration hollows in providing suitable micro-climates for plant growth, soil surface temperature measurements were compared between bare ground and hollows during both summer and winter at three sites in the arid region of the Western Cape. Soil temperatures within the hollows were lower than that of bare ground during the warmest part of the day, and higher than bare ground during the coolest part of the day. Hollows have a moderating effect on soil surface temperature, which creates a more suitable micro-climate for seed germination. Restoration hollows may offer a cost-effective alternative to other restoration methods, such as brush packing and tilling. This research contributes to the broader understanding of land restoration strategies in arid environments, potentially reducing restoration costs and improving ecosystem resilience in the face of environmental challenges, including climate change.