ETD Collection

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    Impact of charcoal production on populations of selected Savanna tree species on clay soils in Catuane, southern Mozambique
    (2007-02-21T13:39:28Z) Manjate, Nelson Belecuane
    The impact of charcoal production on populations of selected savanna tree species was investigated on clay soils in Catuane, southern Mozambique. The study focused on answering questions related to the contribution of charcoal production to the local economy, the way populations of selected species were changed by the activity and the way in which they recover. Acacia nigrescens, Acacia nilotica and Ziziphus mucronata were identified as being amongst the most utilised species for charcoal production due to their hard wood quality. The charcoal production is being done by individuals from outside the local community. They are able to generate relatively high revenues from their product, which they sell to external markets, notably Maputo. The local community do not share in the benefits of the production. Interviews with members of the local community, indicated that they would prefer the activity to be stopped or more rigourously controlled. A comparison was made between adjacent harvested and un-harvested areas to assess the effects of charcoal production on the tree populations. Population structure by stem circumference classes were broadly similar in all three study species being characterised by a high frequency in the smallest circumference class. All other classes had considerably lower frequencies. With regards density, Acacia nigrescens and Acacia nilotica showed significantly lower densities in the harvested area. Ziziphus mucronata showed no significant difference. The frequency of stump circumference classes of Acacia nigrescens and Acacia nilotica were normally distributed with the class 81-90 cm being the most common. Ziziphus mucronata data were skewed to the left, with most stumps in the class 52-60 cm. Stump heights were mostly in the region of 20 cm. Circumferences of stumps were similar across the study species, being in the region of 90 cm. Coppicing in stumps was relatively poorly developed, with the majority of stumps having no successful coppice shoots. Kilns had an average density of two kilns per hectare. There was an inverse relationship between species abundance and mean harvesting radius. The results of the study indicate that harvesting has had an effect on species abundance and population structures. With decreases in density and a shift in age distribution towards a predominance of juvenile trees. However, the results are not unequivocal, since the area is not pristine and may have been subjected to other activities before harvesting for charcoal. The charcoal producers appear to harvest all sizes of tree. Their production data, approximately 1300 kg of charcoal produced per hectare, indicate the potential for over utilisation of the woodland resource. Futhermore their practice of cutting at low height subjects the stumps to growth retarding elements such as herbivory and fire, possibly contributing towards relatively unsuccessful coppicing and exacerbating the sustainability issue. To address these issues, along with the socio-economics issues, appropriate structures need to be implemented by government, in consultation with communities.
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    Unlocking resources: The impact of land reform on sustainability of forest and woodland resources and rural livelihoods- The case of Mufurudzi resettlement scheme(Zimbabwe )
    (2007-02-19T12:19:10Z) Mukwada, Geofrey
    This thesis is about the relationship between planned resettlement, livelihoods and environmental resources in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwean resettlement areas, assets such as human and physical capital, social networks and financial resources are often clearly insufficient to adequately provide inputs for the sustainable productive and extractive systems that are required to drive the rural economy. Due to uncertainties related to agricultural production doubts have been expressed about the benefits of state sponsored resettlement. Currently, debate is raging on whether land resettlement in Zimbabwe has yielded the intended benefits among land reform beneficiaries, with some scholars even questioning whether state sponsored resettlement is not merely an expensive way of reproducing the livelihoods of communal lands. This thesis contributes to the ongoing debate about the link between rural livelihoods and land resettlement, using the case of Mufurudzi resettlement scheme in Zimbabwe. Based on a livelihood framework, the thesis argues that in order to fully understand the relationship between land reform and livelihoods, livelihood trajectories have to be examined. In line with this thinking the thesis presents a number of arguments. First, the thesis argues that there are many theoretical frameworks for analyzing the relationship between people, resettlement and environmental resources such as forests and woodlands and the sustainable livelihood framework is just one of them. Second, resettlement does not necessarily always lead to environmental destruction. Instead resettlement provides the mechanism for unlocking the natural capital that local communities require for survival. Forest and woodland resources are one such form of natural capital. Under these circumstances access to natural capital, particularly in the form of forest and woodland resources, becomes the cornerstone of survival, notwithstanding the role that these resources play in supplying daily livelihood requirements such as food, shelter, fuel, medicines and other needs, in a harsh macro-economic environment. Apart from providing important products, forest and woodland resources also provide a mechanism through which land reform beneficiary communities can diversify their livelihoods. The key finding of this research is that despite their continual use during the past 25 years no wholesale degradation has occurred to the forest and woodland resources in Mufurudzi. Informal CBNRM is responsible for this situation.