Thesis (MScConsEcol)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Mopane woodlands are some of the most economically and ecologically important
vegetation types of southern Africa, providing an array of services and products for sustaining
livelihood of local communities in dry and low lying areas. Although Mopane woodlands, like
other African savannas, have received attention in the last decades, few studies were carried out
using an integrated approach that combines socio-economic and environmental considerations.
The aim of this study was to document the impact of harvesting woody resources in order to
recommend ways of meeting ecological and economic objectives for sustainable use of
communal resources in a rural community in the Mahel area, Mozambique. This was achieved by
looking at the pattern of species composition, resource availability and dynamics of the woody
vegetation and how the woodland is used.
The study found that woodland resources in the area have a promising potential. Local
communities who also recognised the crucial importance of these resources for their livelihood
corroborated this. Thus, conservation measures are needed because the current unsustainable
utilisation of the resources may lead to degradation of the woodland resource base.
The species richness and diversity of the vegetation appeared to be influenced by a number of
ecological and anthropogenic factors, but soil characteristics are the most important determinant
of distribution and composition of the Mopane and Acacia woodlands in Mahel. The harsh
environmental conditions on hard clay soils lead to dominance of over 80% of the Mahel area by
Colophospermum mopane. There was evidence of high variation of species richness per plot at a
distance from the villages. On the other hand species diversity near the villages was higher
because of human activities. Colophospermum mopane formed mono-specific stands far from the
villages. One of the most important aspects of the study is the invaluable contribution of baseline
information for long-term studies for biodiversity assessment and monitoring of vegetation
changes caused by impact of harvesting in the Mopane woodland.
The availability of woody resources in the Mahel area was higher in Mopane woodland (937
stems ha-I) than in Acacia woodland (271 stems ha -1). The population structure of most tree
species was shown to be stable in Mopane woodland. Therefore, sustainable harvesting in the
woodland for firewood, construction material and poles, other than charcoal production could be
encouraged. The preference across use types and species depended mostly on availability of
resources in the woodland. Colophospermum mopane was the species with highest multiple use,
including for firewood, charcoal, construction material, fencing poles and edible caterpillars. Local people perceived that crop production was a more important source of benefits for their
livelihoods than cattle farming, woodland use and cash income.
Application of strategic management planning is crucial in the Mahel area. This will require a
suitable zoning scheme for appropriate use of the woodland resources and conservation of the
vegetation as a guarantee for sustainable development of the local communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mopanie bosveld is een van die mees ekonomies en ekologies belangrike plantegroei
tipes en voorsien 'n reeks dienste en produkte wat bydrae tot die lewensonderhoud
van plaaslike gemeenskappe in die droeë en laagliggende dele van Suider Afrika.
Alhoewel Mopanie bosveld, soos ook ander savanna tipes in Afrika, in die afgelope
dekades aandag geniet het, is daar 'n tekort aan studies wat sosio-ekonomiese, sowel
as omgewingsaspekte, integreer en aanspreek. Die doel van die studie was om die
impak van oes en benutting van houtagtige hulpbronne te dokumenteer en sodoende
aanbevelings te maak aangaande die ekologiese en ekonomiese aspekte van die
volhoudbare benutting van gemeenskaplike hulpbronne in die Mahel gebied,
Mosambiek. Dit is gedoen deur ondersoek in te stel na die patroon van spesie
samestelling, die beskikbaarheid en gebruik van bosveld hulpbronne en die dinamiese
prosesse van die houtagtige plantegroei.
In die studie is gevind dat daar belowende potensiaal in die gebruik van die houtagtige
hulpbronne in die studiegebied, opgesluit is. Die bevinding is bevestig deur die
plaaslike gemeenskappe wat die belangrikheid van die hulpbronne in hul
lewensonderhoud herken. In die lig van die huidige onvolhoudbare verbruik van die
hulpbron, is maatreëls vir die bewaring hiervan nodig om moontlike oorbenutting van
houtagtige hulpbronne te voorkom.
Dit wil voorkom asof die spesierykheid en diversiteit deur 'n aantal antropogeniese
faktore beinvloed word, maar grondeienskappe is die belangrikste faktor wat die
verspreiding en samestelling van Mopanie en Akasia bosveld in die Mahel, bepaal.
Die ongunstige omgewingstoestande op harde, klei grond, lei daartoe dat tot 80 % van
die Mahel gedomineer word deur Colosphospermum mopane. Daar was verder
aanduidings van hoër spesierykheid per plot soos daar van plaaslike nedersettings
wegbeweeg word. Daar was egter 'n hoër spesiediversiteit nader aan nedersettings, as
gevolg van menslike aktiwiteite. Daar was 'n tendens vir Colosphospermum mopane
om mono-spesifieke opstande met groter afstand van nedersettings te vorm. Een van
die mees belangrike aspekte van die studie is die bydrae wat dit lewer tot
grondbeginsels vir langtermyn studies, wat fokus op die impak van menslike gebruik van Mopanie bosveld op die biodiversiteit en plantegroeisamestelling van die
hulpbron. Die beskikbaarheid van houtagtige hulpbronne was hoër in die Mahel
Mopanie bosveld (937 stamme ha-I) as in Akasia bosveld (271 stamme ha-I).
Daar is gevind dat die populasiestruktuur, sowel as regenerasie van die populasie,
stabiel is in Mopanie bosveld. Derhalwe kan benutting van die bosveld vir
vuurmaakhout (uitsluitende charcoal) en boumateriaal aangemoedig word. Die
voorkeur van sekere spesies en aanwending vir sekere gebruike het meestal afgehang
van die beskikbaarheid van die verkillende hulpbronne in die bosveld.
Colosphospermum mopane is die spesie wat die meeste aangewend is vir gebruik vir
onder andere, vuurmaakhout, charcoal, boumateriaal, heining pale en die voorsiening
van eetbare ruspus. Daar is verder bevind dat die plaaslike inwoners gewasproduksie
as 'n belangriker ondersteuningsfaktor vir lewensonderhoud sien as lewendehawe
produksie, bosveld benutting en kontant inkomste.
Die toepassing van strategiese bestuursbeplanning is van kardinale belang in die
Mahel. Dit sluit die ontwikkeling van 'n sonerings skema in, om die toepaslike
gebruik van bosveld hulpbronne en die bewaring van die plantegroei te verseker vir die toekomstige volhoudbare gebruik van die hulpbron deur plaaslike gemeenskappe.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49938 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Foloma, Marcelino Caetano Semo |
| Contributors | Grundy, Isla M., Milton, Sue J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 141 p. : ill., maps |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
Page generated in 0.0204 seconds