Natural resource harvesting still plays an important role in the economy of southern Africa. In Mozambique, the continuous exploitation of the most valuable components of the indigenous woodlands in locations such as the Catuane Administrative Post in Matutuine District, have put pressure on the natural resources so that concern has motivated this research in order to guide such actions in support of sustainable use. This was a preliminary study, the intention being to establish: • what are the necessary environmental conditions for the sustainability of silviculture? • which species may be candidates for cultivation? • whether local people would support cultivation of trees for charcoal and woodfuel; and • what the attitude of government and non-government organizations was to tree cultivation.? The research approach taken in this study was qualitative, relying on interviews, reviewing literature and documentary analysis. Respondents were drawn from different categories such as the local communities of the study area, experts in silviculture, government officials and NGO employees. The study shows that environmental conditions are harsh and are not particularly favourable for the cultivation of trees. Nevertheless, a review of information on the requirements and properties of woody species indicates that there . are candidate species that could be considered for cultivation, but productivity is likely to be low. Although there is some support for cultivation of trees, motivation is weak and strong extension support will be required to achieve success. The findings show, however that whilst there is policy support it is not accompanied by support on the ground. It is suggested that this reflects failure to appreciate the value of co-operative management and suggestions are made as to how these can be improved. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Thesis (MscFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The state owned and managed forest and woodland resources during the colonial and postindependence periods in Mozambique. However, the centralised government forestry policies failed to stop the continual loss of natural forest and woodland resources under the state control. This study is concerned with the sustainability of a cimbirre (Androstachys johnson iidominated) woodland in a rural part of Mozambique. A. johnsonii trees are the major source of subsistence and income generation in southern Mozambique. Nevertheless, the exploitation of the species is running illegally because the diameters used for poles are below the harvestable diameter limit defined by the forestry legislation. This study is part of the research activities of a community-based natural resources management project being implemented in the Mabote District. The study focuses on the four villages covered by this project funded by the Government of Finland. It intends to develop guidelines for sustainable management of the woodland which is of a great concern to the rural woodland-dependent communities. The study examines the socio-economic context of commercial harvesting of A. johnsonii trees for poles by local communities, as well as the sustainability of the woodland resources concerned, especially with respect to the setting of minimum harvestable diameter limits. It is assumed that the current deliberate burning of cimbirre woodlands to kill the desired species would cease once a sustainable diameter limit is established. Three methods are used to respond to the objectives of the study, namely: (1) Semi-structured interviews and group discussions with key informants; (2) Structured questionnaire surveys submitted to households randomly selected within the four villages being studied; and (3) Forest resource assessment. The literature review documents the theoretical issues of sustainable management of natural resources and forest in particular, both past and present. It indicates that a state-community partnership should be considered for sustainable management of the area. It is also valid for communal areas in Mozambique in general, where the government legally controls forest resources. The implementation of the structural adjustment programme that Mozambique currently pursues, allied to the retrenchments in the gold mining industry in South Africa and the abolishment of recruitment of Mozambican labourers in the South African mining industry, have transformed the traditional forms of rural livelihoods. These measures provide rather large incentives for private interests to exploit poles for commercial purposes. Findings of this study based on the forest resource assessment provide an ecological basis for allowing harvesting of juvenile trees of A. johnsonii for poles by local communities, because the current level of harvesting trees does not lead to woodland degradation. Besides, the centralised policies that governed the allocation of forest resources both in colonial and postindependent Mozambique have transformed traditional authorities. This has led to a confusion of roles and conflicting power in forest management. Key words: Community involvement, deforestation, sustainable natural forest management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die koloniale en post-onafhanklike periode in Mosambiek is die woude en bosland hulpbronne deur die staat beheer en besit. Dié gesentraliseerde regeringsbeleide het egter nie die voortdurende verlies aan natuurlike hulpbronne onder staatsbeheer gestop nie. Hierdie studie handle oor die volhoubaarheid van 'n cimbirre (Androstachys johnson ii-dominated) inheemse bos in 'n landelike deel van Mosambiek. A. johnsonii bome is die hoofbron van bestaan en inkomstegenerering in die suidelike deel van Mosambiek. Nogtans word dié spesie onwettiglik uitgebuit omdat die deursnee vir pale onder die oesbare minimum deursnee is, soos bepaal deur bosbouwetgewing. Dié studie vorm deel van die navorsingsaktiwiteite van 'n gemeenskapsbeheerde, natuurlike hulpbron bestuursprojek wat tans geïmplementeer word in die Mabote Distrik. Die fokus van dié studie is vier dorpies wat gedek word deur die projek. Die doelwit is om riglyne te ontwikkel vir die volhoubare bestuur van die bosgebied wat 'n groot bron van bekommernis is vir die landelike gemeenskappe wat van die bos afhanklik is. Die studie ondersoek die sosioekonomiese konteks vir die kommersiële oes van A. johnsonii bome vir pale deur die plaaslike gemeenskappe, sowel as die volhoubaarheid van die bosebied se hulpbronne hier betrokke, veral met die oog op die bepaling van 'n minimum deursnee beperking vir oesdoeleindes. Dit word aanvaar dat die huidige doelbewuste brand van cimbirre boslande, om die gewenste spesies dood te maak, beeïndig sal word as 'n volhoubare deursnee limiet vasgestel word. Dit sal gedoen word met behulp van insette deur die afhanklike gemeenskappe. Drie metodes is gebruik om die doelwitte van die studie te behaal; (1) Semigestruktureerde onderhoude en groepbesprekings met kerninformante; (2) Getruktureerde vraelys opname wat aan lukraak geselekteerde huishoudings binne die vier dorpies (wat deel maak van studie) gegee is; en (3) Hulpbronwaardering in die bos. Die literatuurstudie dokumenteer die teoretiese kwessies oor die volhoubare bestuur van natuurlike hulpbronne en dan spesifiek woude, beide in die verlede en in die huidige situasie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat 'n staatgemeenskapsvennootskap oorweeg moet word vir die volhoubare bestuur van die area. Dit geld ook in die algemeen vir die kommunale areas in Mosambiek, waar die regering wettiglik woudhulpbronne beheer. Die implementering van strukturele aanpassings programme tans in Mosambiek, asook die afdankings in die goudmynindustrie in Suid-Afrika en die beeïndiging aan die werwing van Mosambiekse arbeiders deur Suid-Afrika, het tradisionele vorms van landelike broodwinning getransformeer. Dit lei weer tot die misbruik van pale vir kommersiële doeleindes, deur die privaat sektor. Bevindings uit dié studie, gebaseer op die woudhulpbron waarderings, verskaf 'n ekologiese basis vir die oes van jong A. johnsonii bome vir pale deur die plaaslike gemeenskappe, want die huidige vlak van oes van dié bome lei nie tot boslandagteruitgang nie. Boonop het die gesentraliseerde beleide wat die toekenning van woudhulpbronne beheer, in beide 'n koloniale Mosambiek en 'n post-onafhanklike Mosambiek, tradisionele gesagsstrukture getransformeer. Dit het gelei tot 'n verwarring in rolle en 'n konflik in mag in inheemse bosbestuur. Key words: Deforestasie, gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, volhoubare natuurlike bosbestuur.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A case study in miombo woodlands was carried out in Pindanganga and MOFLOR forest concession, Gondola and Dondo Districts respectively, in the centre of Mozambique, to analyse the impact of alternative forest management regimes and sectoral and extra sectoral policies on the well being of stakeholders and conservation of the woodlands. A system dynamics model, MIOMBOSIM, based on game theory and implemented in POWERSIM was developed. The analysis is based on a simulation model of the fluctuation over time of the human population, forest dynamics, harvesting costs of the private sector, household consumption, commercial outputs and prices (timber, charcoal, non timber forest products and domestic animals), using data from field surveys and the literature. It also simulated the effects over time of changes in charcoal production efficiency, sales amount and marketing prices of NTFPs, agricultural output prices, off-miombo greater employment availability and a combination between the changes (simultaneous increase in marketing prices ofNTFPs and agricultural output prices, simultaneous increase in charcoal production efficiency and agricultural output prices, and simultaneous increase in off-miombo greater employment availability and agricultural output prices). The modelling approach chosen allows to evaluate management regimes taking into account the different stakeholder interests, which are often conflicting. This study shows that improvement in the well being of stakeholders and resource conservation can be achieved with sound forest management practices. There is no management regime capable of fully satisfying the goals of the stakeholders. The cooperative management option is potentially beneficial to local communities if properly implemented and can improve the rural livelihoods and the woodland resources condition. It also shows that regulated forest management regimes incorporating social concerns or incorporating social and environmental concerns are potentially more beneficial to the household sector than the open access regime. Results found in the study show that an increase by 10% and 30% on charcoal production efficiency can lead to an increase in the per capita benefits of the household sector by 3.0 to more than 100%, but can not reach the poverty line (one dollar per day per person). An increase by 100% in the sales amount or 100% increase in market selling prices of NTFPs can lead to an increase in the per capita benefits of the household sector. An increase in agricultural output selling prices by 25% without any other incentive leads to agricultural expansion. An increase by 100% in off-miembo employment opportunities in the study areas has an insignificant impact on resource use and conservation for the local communities due to the very low employment opportunities currently in place (0.008% in Pindanganga and 0.005% in MOFLOR area). A combination of these two policies instruments under ceteris paribus condition can improve the well being of the rural communities depending on the management regime option, but can not reach the poverty line (one dollar per day per person). The ranking of the management regime can change depending on the policy instrument applied. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Gevalle-studie is in Miombo boomveld in Pindanganga en MOFLOR, onderskeidelik in die Gondola en Dondo Distrikte in die sentrale deel van Mosambiek, uitgevoer om die impak van alternatiewe bosbestuursisteme en sektorale en ekstra-sektorale beleide op die welstand van belanghebbendes (stakeholders) en bewaring van die boomveld te ontleed. 'n Sisteem-dinamika model, MIOMBOSIM, gebaseer op spel teorie (game theory) en ge-implementeer in POWERSIM, was ontwikkel. Die analise is gebaseer op 'n simulasie-model van die fluktuasie oor tyd van die plaaslike bevolking, bosdinamika, oestingskostes van die private sektor, huishoudelike verbruik, kommersiële uitsette en pryse (hout, houtskool, nie-hout produkte en huishoudelike diere), deur data van veldopnames en uit die literatuur te gebruik. Die invloede oor tyd in veranderinge in effektiwiteit van houtskoolproduksie, verkoopsvlakke en markpryse van nie-hout produkte, landbou uitsetpryse, beskikbare indiensneming buite die Miombo boomveldgebiede, en 'n kombinasie tussen die veranderinge, is ook gesimuleer. Die gekose modelleringsbenadering het dit moontlik gemaak om die bosbestuursisteme te evalueer met inagneming van die verskillende en dikwels teenstrydige behoeftes van die belanghebbendes. Die studie het getoon dat verbetering In die welstand van die belanghebbendes en hulpbronbewaring bereik kan word met gesonde bosbestuurspraktyke. Geeneen van die bosbestuursisteme kan die doelwitte van die belanghebbendes ten volle bevredig nie. Die kooperatiewe bestuursopsie is potensieel voordelig vir die plaaslike gemeeskappe indien behoorlik ge-implementeer, en kan die landelike lewensbestaan sowel as die toestand van die boomveld as hulpbron verbeter. Gereguleerde bosbestuursisteme wat sosiale belange of sosialeomgewingsbelange insluit, is potensieel meer voordelig vir die huishoudelike sektor as die vrye toegangsisteem (open access regime). Resultate van die studie het getoon dat 'n toename van onderskeidelik 10% and 30% in effektiwiteit van houtskoolproduksie kan lei tot 'n toename in per kapita voordele van die huishoudelike sektor van 3.0% tot meer as 100%, maar kan nie lei tot 'n vebetering bokant die armoedevlak nie (een VSA doller per dag per persoon). 'n Toename van 100% in die hoeveelheid verkope of 'n 100% toename in die markverkoopsprys van nie-hout produkte kan lei tot 'n toename in die per kapita voordele van die huishoudelike sektor. 'n Toename in die landbou uitsetverkoopspryse met 25% sonder enige ander insentiewe lei tot landbou-uitbreiding. 'n 100% Toename in indiensnemingsgeleenthede buite die Miombo boomveldgebiede in die studiegebiede het onbeduidende impakte op hulpbrongebruik en bewaring vir die plaaslike gemeenskappe as gevolg van baie lae huidige indiensnemingsgeleenthede (0.008% in Pindanganga en 0.005% in MOFLOR). 'n Kombinasie van die twee beleidsinstrumente onder toestande van ceteris paribus kan die welstand van die landelike gemeenskappe verbeter afhangende van die bestuursisteemopsie, maar kan nie die armoedsvlak oorskry nie (een VSA doller per dag per persoon). Die rangorde van die bestuursisteem kan verander afhangende van watter beleidsinstrument toegepas word.