Browsing by Author "Luoga, E. J."

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Community-based forest management in Tanzania: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(Hyderabad, India, 2011) Nzunda, E. F.; Luoga, E. J.; Mahuve, T. G.
In developing countries, the failure of the policing model of forest management whereby the central government protected forest reserves by preventing local communities from using them led to the emergence of Participatory Forest Management (PFM). In Tanzania PFM takes two main forms: Joint Forest Management (JFM) whereby the forest is owned by the central government or district council and the local people are involved in conservation of the forest and Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) whereby the community is given the right to own and use the forest that is on the general land. In both JFM and CBFM the village is the focal point in management of the forest and hence this approach to forest management is referred to as village-based forest management in this paper (VBFM). The paper discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of village-based forest management in Tanzania in the light of the origin and characteristics of villages and governance in the country. A historical account of forest management is given. Among the strengths are the government structure with strong villages for many years, willingness of people to participate in CBFM initiatives and community-village collaboration. The fact that the approach is exogenous both in conception and funding, its poor spiritual basis, inadequacy of technical knowledge at the community level, inequality in cost and benefit sharing, poor infrastructure and lack of legal documentation of the villages are seen as weaknesses of CBFM. Opportunities for CBFM include appropriate national policies and international conventions and funding initiatives for sustainable forest management. Threats to CBFM include land grabbing for bio-fuel production and other enterprises, conflict of interest with the district and higher-level government and poor governance. The paper concludes by suggesting the way forward for tapping the strengths and opportunities of VBFM and addressing its weaknesses and threats.
Differential utilization and Ethnobotany of trees in Kitulanghalo forest reserve and surrounding communal lands, eastern Tanzania
(Springer, 2000) Luoga, E. J.; Witkowski, E. T. E.; Balkwill, K.
This study documents the utilization aspects and distri- bution of ethnobotanical knowledge of the local people of Morogoro, Tanzania, as a first step towards sustainable utilization and conservation of tropical woodlands. A total of 133 arbo- rescent species in 31 families was identified of which 69% had a variety of uses. These uses were classified into 12 categories and major uses were charcoal, firewood, medicine, and poles. Most tree species have occasional uses, but a few are exceptionally useful and thus their levels of utilization may far exceed their regeneration and production. The questionnaire survey in- dicated that 62% of the respondents agreed that traditional medical services were more avail- able than modem services. Utilization surveys indicated that wooden poles are the building material used in 98% of the dwellings and storage structures, wild foods were useful for food security especially during drought years, and high quality timber trees have been depleted in the forest because of earlier exploitation by pit-sawing. The distribution of ethnobotanical knowledge indicated that much of the relevant ethnobotanical and utilization information was held by more aged members of the society and hence there is a clear need to capture this knowledge before it is lost. This study has shown that resources are defined by use and culture, and some components of ethnobotanical knowledge have potential for the sustainable manage- ment of miombo woodlands.
Economics and sustainability of commercial production of wood fuel in Miombo woodlands of eastern Tanzania
(University of the Witwatersrand, 1999) Luoga, E. J.; Witkowski, E. T. F.; Balkwill, K.
Miombo woodlands, which comprise the largest proporti on of the savanna regions of southern Africa, are central to the livelihood of both rural and urban households . Wood fuel is the main source of energy for the majority of the population, with firewood used in rural areas and charcoal in urban centres. Indigenous commercial production of charcoal, using earth mound k ilns, utilises about 42 tree species, a higher number than for any other uses. Over 56% of the trees harvested within communal lands (ranging between 2.4 and 68.6 cm dbh) were felled for charcoal. The apparent profit in charcoal production is attributable to very low capital outlays, "free" own labour, "free raw materials" , lack of concern about associated external costs, high demand for charcoal and lack of alternative income-generating activities. Cutting of tr ees for charcoal implies an opportunity cost as the trees may have been used fo r other purposes such as timber, construction, medicine, firewood and food. Miombo woodlands also perform vital ecosystem serv ices such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and watershed protection. The estimated local wood consumption for charcoal of 6.01 m 3 capita -1 year -1 is very high compared to subsistenc e firewood consumption of only 1.3 m 3 capita -1 year -1 . The area cleared for charcoal production locally was about 1 671 ha year -1 which is about 10% of the accessible area within local communal lands. This shows that al though commercialisation of wood resources provides tangible monetary benefits to rural communities, it also contributes to environmental degradation that will ultimately threaten their long-term survival.
Impact of joint forest management on Handeni hill forest reserve and adjacent communities in Tanga, Tanzania
(2005) Kajembe, G. C.; Mohamed, B.S.; Luoga, E. J.
Most forests in Tanzania have been managed under state ownership regime but have been faced with enormous pressure leading to degradation. Joint Forest Management (JFM) was introduced in 1998 aiming at improving conditions of forest reserves and livelihood of the adjacent communities, one of which being the Handeni Hill Forest Reserve in north eastern Tanzania. Data were collected in 2001 and 2004 on forest inventory and socio-economic attributes of the adjacent communities. Comparisons were done to determine significant changes on forest conditions and livelihood. The study showed a non-significant positive impact on basal area (m 2 /ha), and volume (m 3 /ha), but had no impact on improving farming productivity. There were positive trends on reduced wood energy consumption, increased tree planting and promotion of non wood forest products (NWFPs). The realized benefit stream has positively influenced villagers on acceptance and participation in JFM related activities. It is concluded that a period of 3 years was not long enough to show a significant impact on the forest conditions and livelihood. It is recommended that more efforts are needed to strengthen JFM and more long term studies are needed to monitor the performance of JFM.
Indigenous plant uses and use values in Uluguru mountains, Morogoro, Tanzania
(Nature Kenya/East African Natural History Society, 2006) Wilfred, P.; Madoffe, S. S.; Luoga, E. J.
To assess plant uses and use values in Uluguru Mountains a study was carried out using household surveys and interviews on various uses of the plants. Descriptive statistics and use-value analysis techniques were used in data analysis. Of the plant species identified, 92% were used for fuel wood and 83% were used for construction materials. A significant difference in use values among the species was realized. Newtonia buchananii had the highest use value of 2.81 where as Piper capense had the lowest use value of 0.08. Villagers know which tree species are best for building poles or good as fuel wood, which wild fruits are edible and which are good for medicine. This knowledge is an important ingredient in the ongoing effort to reverse the trend of environmental degradation in the area.
Influence of forest land tenure regimes on forest condition in Uluguru mountains, Tanzania
(African Journals Online (AJOL), 2012-06) Kitula, M. H.; Kajembe, G. C.; Zahabu, E.; Luoga, E. J.; Katani, J. Z.; Ngowi, S. E.; Eid, T.
The paper scrutinizes the current wave of forest land tenure reforms since the inception of the new forest policy in 1998. It explores which type of forestland tenure regime had more positive influence on forest condition in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. The assessment was done with reference to vegetation types of montane and miombo woodlands. The study showed that for the montane vegetation, state regime (Uluguru Nature Reserve) had higher stocking (volume 1,233m3/ha; basal area 78m2/ha; density 777 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.48) compared to communal regime (Chief Kingalu Sacred Forest) which had low stocking (volume 798m3/ha; basal area 49m2/ha; density 1,020 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.21). For the miombo vegetation, corporate/private regime (Tangeni Roman Catholic Church Forest Reserve) had higher stocking (volume 122m3/ha; basal area 27m2/ha and density 2,573 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 2.60) compared to communal regime (Misumba Village Land Forest Reserve) which had low stocking (volume 23m3/ha; basal area 10.8m2/ha and density 4,200 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.53). The study concludes that state regime represented by Uluguru Nature Reserve showed improved forest condition compared to communal tenure regime (Chief Kingalu Sacred Forest) for the montane vegetation type while private regime (Tangeni Roman Catholic Church Forest Reserve) was more effective in conservation than communal regime (Misumba Village Land Forest Reserve). The study recommends that sustainable management of forests could not be addressed by tenure reforms in the forestry sector alone, but requires 'cross-sectoral', 'inter-disciplinary' and 'participatory' approach along with secure tenure. Moreover, it is essential that an in-depth forest inventory is conducted at predetermined intervals to quantify stocking of tree, shrub species and forest disturbances to understand the level of resource extraction for each tenure regime. Key words: Tenure regimes, reforms, forest condition, Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania.
Land cover and use changes in relation to the institutional framework and tenure of land and resources in eastern Tanzania Miombo woodlands
(Environment, Development and Sustainability - Springer, 2005) Luoga, E. J.; Witkowski, E. T. F.; Balkwill, K.
In Tanzania, well-defined land tenure and resource protection apply in forest reserves which account for 30% of forested land, while the remaining 70% (mostly miombo woodlands) are village and general lands with very limited protection. The aim of this study was to determine local people’s ownership rights, knowledge and institutional capacity for sustainable management of resources in forest reserves and general lands. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisal, structured and semi-structured interviews, as well as aerial photographs and landsat images. In general lands, woodlands declined by 50% between 1964 and 1996, bushlands and croplands increased by 599%, and settlements and homegardens increased by 277%. These land use and vegetation structure changes are attributed to harvesting for charcoal production and shifting cultivation. The continued decline in aerial woodland cover in the general lands suggests that common property regimes do not function in the area. Local institutional capacities are weak in enforcing control mechanisms to check the overuse of resources, which tends to approximate open access conditions. The issues of land tenure and village empowerment are not only institutional, but also political in nature. Government institutions should provide and motivate for an enabling environment, including acknowledgement of traditional knowledge, well-defined property rights and operational village by-laws. In order to ensure equity and sustainable development of natural resources, the paradigm shift in management is important whereby communal goods are to be managed for the benefit of the local society.
Prevalence and standing volume of Dalbergia Melanoxylon in Coastal and Inland sites of Southern Tanzania
(Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 2000) Malimbwi, R. E.; Luoga, E. J.; Hofstad, O.; Mugasha, A. G.; Valen, J. S.
In order to determine the prevalence and standing volume of Dalbergia melanoxylon( mpingo), 120 sample plots were laid out in each of two districts, Kilwa and Nachingwea, representing coastal and inland woodlands in Lindi Region, southern Tanzania. Using data from felled trees, volume equations for various utilisation classes were constructed. Also estimated were the basic density of mpingo, the percentage content Of heartwood, sapwood, and heartrot, and the thickness of bark and sapwood.The basic density values for mpingo were 1.14,0.76 and 1.06 g cm' for heartwood, sapwood, and both heartwood and sapwood. These are multiplier factors to obtain biomass values from volume. The heartwood content of mpingo is 83% of the total volume and the rest (17%) is sapwood and bark. Based on a few logs observed 13% of the total volume may be expected to have heartrot. The sapwood thickness is 1.1 cm with little variation irrespective of log diameter. The bark is thin (3.7 mm) and soft making the tree susceptible to damage by bruising and fire.The inland forests have twice as much overbark volume of mpingo as the coastal forests with 10 and 5 m3 ha"1 respectively. The merchantable volume to 20 cm top diameter overbark is 4.4 and 1.7 m3 ha"1 accounting for only 43 and 33% of the total volume per hectare respectively. Since regeneration of mpingo is easy, there is no immediate need to classify mpingo as an endangered species provided fire control is enhanced as an important conservation measure. It is, however, appropriate to regard the species as threatened.