Department of Ecosystems and Conservation

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Amending traditional substrate rice straw with agroforestry tree foliage increases production cycle and nutritional value of pleurotus floridanus
(AJOL, 2021) Andrew, Samora M.; Mbwambo, John R.
The recent heightened attention on mushrooms has not considered shortening the production time and increasing nutritional value using substrates from agroforestry trees in addition to traditionally used agro-industrial residues. This study therefore, examined harvesting time, protein and essential minerals of Pleurotus floridanus grown on rice straw amended with Gliricidia sepium foliage in Morogoro, Tanzania. Mushrooms were cultivated in 30 x 40 cm 4 kg dry weight polythene bags in randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment. Results showed that the addition of 5% G. sepium into rice straw reduced total time between spawning and first harvest of P. floridanus. Gliricidia sepium increased significantly (P < 0.05) protein contents of the mushrooms by up to 40%. The addition of 5–10% G. sepium into rice straw increased significantly (P < 0.05) manganese, copper and zinc in the mushrooms. The decrease in production time and high increase in protein and mineral contents indicate that agroforestry trees have the potential to increase production cycles and nutritional value of P. floridanus. Therefore, use of foliage from agroforestry trees in combination with traditional substrates for mushroom production could help fight malnutrition, improve food security and enhance income.
Coppicing and productivity of two indigenous tree species under different forest management regimes in Tanzania
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Vyamana, Vincent G.; Chamshama, Shabani A. O.; Andrew, Samora M.
There is a renewed interest to improve sustainable wood production from African savanna but our knowledge on management of individual tree species to optimize harvesting return times is limited. A factorial experiment was therefore established to assess the effects of stump diameter and height, and coppice thinning on growth and yield of Albizia harveyi Fourn (Ah) and Albizia versicolor Welw ex. Oliver. (Av) in Forest Reserve (FR) and the General Land (GL) at area in Morogoro region, Tanzania. Coppice diameter and height growth was significantly high in Av than Ah; and was highest in stumps cut at 30 cm or 90 cm regardless of tree species. Ah had significantly high average coppicing effectiveness (11.74 coppices per stump) than Av (4.18 coppices per stump) in the FR; but the variation was not significant in the GL. Coppice wood basic density was significantly high in Ah (446.04 ± 0.72 kg m − 3 ) than Av (400.52 ± 0.97 kg m − 3 ). Coppice wood biomass ranged from 3.08 ± 0.02 kg stool − 1 in Ah to 3.45 ± 0.03 kg stool − 1 in Av. Ah produced highest coppice wood biomass in medium diameter stumps cut at 30 cm (3.57 kg stool − 1 ) or 90 cm (3.76 kg stool − 1 ) and large stumps cut at 5 cm (4.55 kg stool − 1 ); and the least biomass in small stumps cut at 5 cm (1.26 kg stool − 1 ). For Av, highest coppice wood biomass values were 6.41 kg stool − 1 for medium diameter stumps cut at 90 cm and 6.20 kg stool − 1 for large stumps cut at 30 cm; and the least was 1.87 kg stool − 1 for small stumps cut at 5 cm. This paper concludes with discussion on the need for further studies on optimal canopy cover and wild fire control strategies under short-rotation coppice silvicultural system; and suitability of multipurpose indigenous trees for simultaneous on-farm production.
Diversity in fruit and seed morphology of wooden banana ( Entandrophragma bussei Harms ex Engl.) populations in Tanzania
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Andrew, Samora M.; Kombo, Siwa A.; Chamshama, Shabani A. O.
Entandrophragma bussei (wooden banana) is a high value indigenous multipurpose tree species prioritized for do- mestication in Tanzania. However, we lack adequate information on genetic and phenotypic variation to support domestication processes, while utilization pressure on the remaining stocks and deforestation are intensified. The study evaluated the diversity in fruit and seed morphology of three wild populations of E. bussei found in three agroecological zones of Tanzania. Data on fruit (length, width, weight and number of seeds per fruit) and seed (length, width and weight) traits were evaluated. To detect differences in means among the populations, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed. There were variations in fruit and seed morphological traits among the studied populations. Ruaha population had significantly higher fruit length (19.31 ± 0.1 cm), width (7.71 ± 0.12 cm) and number of seeds per fruit (22 ± 0.48) than Kigwe (15.65 ± 0.14 cm, 4.85 ± 0.17 cm, 20 ± 0.45), and Tarangire (16.84 ± 0.1 cm, 5.40 ± 0.12 cm, 20 ± 0.37) populations. Ruaha (62.46 ± 1.37 g) and Tarangire (60.71 ± 1.12 g) had significantly heavier fruits than Kigwe (56.53 ± 1.28 g). Kigwe population had significantly higher seed width (1.80 ± 0.01 cm) and weight (0.83 ± 0.01 g) than Ruaha (1.75 ± 0.01 cm, 0.75 ± 0.01 g) and Tarangire (1.65 ± 0.01 cm, 0.77 ± 0.01 g) populations. Among the populations Tarangire had higher seed length (9.60 ± 0.06 cm) than the rest. Overall, there is a considerable fruit and seed morphological diversity among the E. bussei populations offering opportunities for selection of domestication cultivars and gene pool conservation.
Effects of plant species diversity and biomass on grazing patch selection by semi free-ranging cattle
(AJOL, 2021-02) Andrew, Samora M.
Studies examining forage selection by large herbivores have generally focused on single herbivore-plant relationships and few studies link plant species diversity with large herbivore feeding preferences, particularly in species-rich ecosystems. A study was therefore conducted to examine how herbaceous plant biomass, species richness, diversity and evenness, together with elevation and distances to houses, agricultural fields and cattle holding-pen areas (kraals), predict cattle grazing intensity at small (0.5 x 0.5 m) and large (20 x 50 m) patches by semi free-ranging indigenous cattle in Kilombero Valley Floodplain wetland Tanzania. Results showed that cattle grazed patches with high species richness and intermediate level of biomass at a small spatial scale, suggesting that selection of small patches is a trade-off between food quality and quantity. On a larger scale, cattle grazed patches with a higher abundance of palatable plant species with high biomass, but with less plant species diversity. Moreover, grazing intensity in large patches was positively related to elevation and distance from agricultural fields. Overall, this study shows that considering both plant community properties and physiographic variables in forage selection studies facilitates a better understanding of grazing ecology of large domestic herbivores in species-rich ecosystems. Thus, maintenance of plant species richness and biomass in wetland rangelands is important to improve domestic herbivore production and conservation of biodiversity.

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