Land rehabilitation success in the Yazoo basin, USA

Abstract

A combination of forest clearance, cultivation, fragile soil, steep slopes and high rainfall led to erosion, sedimentfilled channels, frequent flooding and land abandonment in the 1.7 million ha uplands of the Yazoo river basin in northern Mississippi. A prosperous agricultural economy collapsed into extreme poverty in less than 100 years. In 1947 federal legislation initiated a rehabilitation programme. Its major objectives were achieved by 1985. Afforestation of severely eroded, privately owned lands greatly reduced sediment yields and flooding and created a tremendous timber resource. This article describes the rehabilitation programme, the research that established the beneficial impacts of afforestation, and the current status of the area.