Participation of Local Community in Tree Conservation Practices for Sustainable Forest Management in Mzinga River Catchment, Uluguru Mountains – Tanzania
Seif Aldin Dawina Abdallah Fragallah
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
L. L. L. Lulandala
Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania.
Muneer E. S. Eltahir
Institute of Gum Arabic Research Desertification Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Awad Elkarim Suliman Osman Khalifa *
Institute of Gum Arabic Research Desertification Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Salah Eldeen Esmail Ahmed
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Kamal Hassan Suliman
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Elgodah H. Ahmed
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Faisal. I. Musa
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Elly Josephat Ligate
Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The research was conducted in Mzinga River catchment, Morogoro, Tanzania during the periods of 2010 - 2013 to assess the participation of local community in tree conservation practices and tree planting for Sustainable Forest Management. Providing goods and services, while maintaining ecosystem functions and forest biodiversity that built up sustainable forest to supply and support human welfare, is one of the great challenges. The Mzinga project started in 2003/04 with main focus on conservation practices to ensure sustainable forest, while addressing issues related to flow of water. The assessment was done by a combination of questionnaire, forest inventory and field observation. Socio-economic data were collected through household questionnaire survey while Ecological data collected through forest inventory. Analysis of quantitative socio-economic data was analyzed using SPSS, while content analysis was used for qualitative data. Inventory data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel. The results showed that, 92% of the community were actively involved in conservation activities over the catchment. These activities ranged from tree planting for economic gains, soil erosion control and water conservation. The most popular conservation activity was tree planting 43%. The study was able to document the re-establishment of a total of 99, 683 different trees planted over the catchment. Species mostly preferred and planted included Khaya anthotheca, Senna siamea and Mangifera indica. 83% of the people obtain firewood and fruits from planted trees. Findings also showed that mean stems density, basal area and volume for Vituli and Bweregu forests were 738, 3.27, 10.71 and 892, 4.74, 16.44 per ha, respectively. Fuel wood and fruits provided powerful incentives for tree planting while 50% felt that lack of land and unfavourable climatic conditions are the major constraint to conservation. It is concluded that most of the ongoing tree planting for fuel wood, fruits and timber. It is concluded that local community have a significant contribution towards conservation of the catchment. Further the major conservation activity seems to be tree planting. This research recommends maintaining current conservation activity, land - tenure system should be changed and strengthening conservation education to improve the conservation initiatives by the local people.
Keywords: Tree planting, community participation, sustainable forest management, conservation practices, Mzinga river catchment