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Clearing and cultivation of indigenous woodlands for agriculture may be among the most important mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological land degradation in Zimbabwe, and southern Africa in general. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of clearing miombo woodland and converting the land to maize (Zea mays L.) cropping on selected soil properties on clay (Chromic luvisol) and loamy sand (Ferric acrisol) soils in central Zimbabwe. Soil samples were collected from undisturbed, cleared and cultivated woodlands after four cropping seasons and analyzed for soil organic C, total N and P, exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity, infiltration rate, aggregate stability and microbial biomass C and N at 0–5, 6–10 and 11–20cm depths. Results showed that clearing and conversion of miombo woodlands to croplands reduced soil nutrients, cation exchange capacity (range: 9.6–21 …