Environmental change in Africa is often associated with processes of land exploitation and
degradation caused by human agents. However, recent studies have demonstrated how
earlier assumptions about the causes and effects of environmental change in some cases have been misleading and simplistic. This paper explores changes during the last century
in the abundance and distribution of such natural resources as grazing, browse, Žrewood
and edible fruits and berries in a village in north-eastern Botswana. A variety of data
sources were used, primarily aerial photographs from different years, vegetation sampling, colonial documentation and recent ofŽ cial records, as well as the oral histories of villagers.
Initially, descriptions of the environment appeared confusing and contradictory. By applying
a geographical and historical approach, seemingly conicting data can be brought
together, thereby contributing to an understanding of actual and perceived change. By
focusing on how the availability of speciŽ c natural resources has varied over time, different and transitory landscapes, as experienced by different observers, are revealed.