{"title":"Changes in tree species diversity, composition and aboveground biomass in areas of fuelwood harvesting in miombo woodland ecosystems of southern Malawi","authors":"Lauren Nerfa, J. Rhemtulla","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1621777","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1621777","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Fuelwood is an essential forest product for small-holder farmers in the tropics, but fuelwood harvesting may cause forest degradation and impact ecosystem services. Understanding tree species composition, diversity and biomass changes in forests with active fuelwood collection is important for informing sustainable forest harvesting. In the miombo woodlands of southern Malawi, using forest plots, we investigated: 1) if forests with fuelwood harvesting (n = 50) have different tree, sapling and seedling stem density, species diversity, species composition, and aboveground biomass (AGB) than forests with minimal use (n = 36); and 2) if forest product harvesting pressure and access are predictors of tree stem density, diversity and AGB. We found a significant reduction in tree diversity and AGB but not stem density, and different species composition in areas with fuelwood harvesting compared to reference sites. For saplings, stem density was higher and species composition was different in fuelwood harvesting sites. Seedling Shannon index and Simpson’s diversity were lower in fuelwood harvesting sites. Harvesting pressure and access were predictors of AGB and tree stem density. The reduced AGB and tree species diversity may hinder collection of fuelwood and other forest products, and may reduce ecosystem functioning. Exploring the possibility of forest landscape restoration in the area could be beneficial.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"176 - 193"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1621777","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43486412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Uttam Thangjam, U. Sahoo, Pentile Thong, G. Sileshi
{"title":"Developing tree volume equation for Parkia timoriana grown in home gardens and shifting cultivation areas of North-East India","authors":"Uttam Thangjam, U. Sahoo, Pentile Thong, G. Sileshi","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1624200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1624200","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. is an economically important agroforestry tree species grown in home gardens and shifting cultivation areas throughout the North-eastern states of India. This study aimed to establish a best fit volume model to facilitate estimation of biomass and carbon stock of the species without destructive sampling. Stem volumes of 360 trees representing 12 populations were estimated, and the data were used to develop 19 volume models involving diameter at breast height (D) and height (H). These models were then subjected to statistical test, and then cross-validated to select the best fitting model. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute deviation (MAD) and Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) were used for model selection, and scattered plot with residuals along with paired t-test were used for validation of the resultant models. Among the models compared, V = 0.12500–2.40265D + 21.43248D2 was found to be the best using single independent variable (D), while V = 0.03177 + 1.032D2H was the best model among the models with two independent variables (D and H). These two models gave high accuracy and hence can be used for future referencing.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"227 - 239"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1624200","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46403165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Beyene, A. Mekonnen, Bluffstone Randall, R. Deribe
{"title":"Household Level Determinants of Agroforestry Practices Adoption in Rural Ethiopia","authors":"A. Beyene, A. Mekonnen, Bluffstone Randall, R. Deribe","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1620137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1620137","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Agroforestry is increasingly promoted as an economically and environmentally sustainable land use system. Understanding factors affecting smallholder farmers’ decision to adopt agroforestry technologies and intensity of adoption is thus considered critical for the development of agroforestry. This research attempts to analyze and understand why agroforestry technologies are not being taken up more by examining household level factors that could influence the adoption of agroforestry technologies. We estimate Heckman selection model using household level data collected from different regions of rural Ethiopia. Our findings show that the age of the household head, land size, tenure insecurity, and proximity to towns have a significant effect on the probability of adopting. They also show that, once adoption decision had been taken, the area devoted to agroforestry technologies is influenced by household characteristics such as gender of the household head, land size, and proximity to towns. We also identify important measures that could help promoting agroforestry technologies in rural Ethiopia. Our findings may also provide scientific evidence for other similar countries whose livelihood depends mainly on agriculture and natural resources such as forests.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"194 - 213"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1620137","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44435040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A non-destructive methodology for estimating leaf biomass in Morus alba and Platanus hispanica in the urban area of central-western Argentina","authors":"B. Vento, G. Moreno, E. Martínez-Carretero","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1618398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1618398","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Most allometric equations to estimate tree biomass have been established in a forest context. However, trees living in an urban environment and trees living in a forest one are confronted with very different constraints that have consequences, among others, on their morphology. It is thus necessary to establish specific allometric equations to estimate the biomass of urban trees. We here explore morphological parameters from two species of trees (Morus alba L. and Platanus hispanica Mill. ex Münchh.), located in an arid urban environment in central-western Argentina, to develop a non-destructive methodology for estimating leaf biomass. Our results show that, for the studied urban trees, crown parameters are better estimators than the diameter at breast height, and allowed us to propose allometric equations using crown height for estimating their leaf biomass.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"221 - 226"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1618398","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44231112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Schmidt, M. Munjuga, Bob I. Matunda, H. Ndangalasi, I. Theilade
{"title":"Constraints in the adoption of Allanblackia stuhlmannii (Engl.) Engl. as agroforestry tree in East Usambara, Tanzania","authors":"L. Schmidt, M. Munjuga, Bob I. Matunda, H. Ndangalasi, I. Theilade","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1608319","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1608319","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Natural forests in the East Usambara Mountains provide villagers with several Non-Timber Forest Products. Useful trees are often retained when forests are converted to farmland. Allanblackia stuhlmannii is a common forest tree on farmland. Due to the high-quality seed oil, a wish to conserve the species and to provide farmers with income from seed sale, efforts have been made for large-scale production by smallholders. The strategy includes maintenance of existing trees on farmland and rejuvenation by planting. An adoptability survey was conducted among 225 seed collectors and farmers in 10 villages in East Usambara. Results showed that the traditional open fruit collection from farmland trees had become more restrictive. Adoption by farmers was slow. Although seeds were collected from standing trees, barriers to cultivation were long juvenile period, competition with crops, lack of space for tree planting and potential waste of land for male trees. The greatest obstacle was the preference for other tree species. Economic calculations showed that the production of Allanblackia seed was not competitive compared to clove and cinnamon. The study shows that although several NTFPs are collected, only Allanblackia was cultivated. The study questions whether Allanblackia cultivation, based entirely on smallholders, is sustainable.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"160 - 175"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1608319","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45848238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nayu Nuringdati Widianingsih, L. Schmidt, I. Theilade
{"title":"Jernang (Daemonorops spp.) commercialization and its role for rural incomes and livelihoods in Southern Sumatra, Indonesia","authors":"Nayu Nuringdati Widianingsih, L. Schmidt, I. Theilade","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1600434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1600434","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Forest areas in Sumatra, Indonesia are continuously shrinking, leading to depletion of forest resources. Daemonorops spp., locally known as Jernang, is one of the most sought-after non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and has a high commercial value. Recently, conversion of its forest habitat and growing international market demand have placed Jernang in the vulnerable species category on the IUCN Red List. Official statistics on Jernang trade and consumption are scant as it is part of the informal rural economy and customs data are aggregated, without specifying volumes of Jernang exported from Indonesia. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of Jernang to rural incomes with a particular focus on the producers (collectors and cultivators) and entrepreneur groups at the village level. In the present case study, the absolute income of Jernang to annual household economies ranged from 386 US dollars per adult equivalent units (USD/aeu) for Jernang collectors through 1389 USD/aeu for Jernang cultivators, and up to 2106 USD/aeu for entrepreneurs. The relative income from Jernang trade was highest for the cultivator and entrepreneur groups (54% and 64%, respectively). Collector households were the poorest group, both in terms of land ownership and income. The high relative contribution of Jernang to the incomes of cultivator households may prevent conversion of rural agroforestry systems to monocropping. Jernang cultivation may compensate for declining wild resources.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"143 - 159"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1600434","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49151742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.) seedlings recovery after fire: gas-exchange, growth and biomass partitioning assessment","authors":"D. Tom-Dery, K. Jensen, C. Reisdorff","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1600433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1600433","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) is native to the savanna ecosystem, an ecosystem prone to periodic bushfires due to the long dry season and accumulated combustible biomass. We studied the effects of simulated fire on shea seedlings gas exchange, growth and biomass allocation in a greenhouse experiment. We hypothesized that fire decreases photosynthetic performance of regrown leaves leading to lower growth and altered biomass allocation in shea seedlings. Sixteen weeks after fire treatment, none of the measured photosynthetic, growth and biomass parameters showed a significant difference between fire treated seedlings and, control seedlings. Shea seedlings have therefore shown exceptional recovery of gas exchange performance, growth and biomass allocation patterns 4 months after fire.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"214 - 220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1600433","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43462421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jimena Forero‐Montaña, Humfredo Marcano‐Vega, J. Zimmerman, T. Brandeis
{"title":"Potential of second-growth Neotropical forests for forestry: the example of Puerto Rico","authors":"Jimena Forero‐Montaña, Humfredo Marcano‐Vega, J. Zimmerman, T. Brandeis","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1579673","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1579673","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The development of appropriate strategies towards the sustainable management of tropical second-growth forests is essential for human well-being and climate change mitigation. The well-documented process of forest recovery in Puerto Rico offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential of second-growth tropical forests for forestry. Here, we combined 10 years of forest inventory data with ethnobotanical information to determine trends in forest cover, stand structure, and timber volume, as well as the suitability of useful tree species for timber and non-timber forest products. We observed a period of stability in the process of forest recovery. Even though the forests are still too young for extensive forestry, they are rich in useful species and contain high densities of trees suited for timber and several non-timber forest products. These results suggest that Puerto Rico’s forests have substantial capability for forestry and research on silvicultural practices. Today, numerous government programs encourage reforestation in private forests. However, lack of markets for local forest products and services is a major limitation for sustainable forest management. Therefore, it is worthwhile to support local enterprises of artisans and sawyers and create innovative incentives for forestry, rather than mainly focus on subsidizing landowners to plant trees.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"126 - 141"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1579673","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44321958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Mahdavi, S. Wunder, Vahid Mirzaeizadeh, M. Omidi
{"title":"A hidden harvest from semi-arid forests: landscape-level livelihood contributions in Zagros, Iran","authors":"A. Mahdavi, S. Wunder, Vahid Mirzaeizadeh, M. Omidi","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1571447","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1571447","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In a forest-scarce country like Iran, the open semi-arid Zagros forests are the single-most important forest region, yet their contribution to rural livelihoods remains inadequately understood. Here our primary focus is on analyzing the quantitative contributions of these oak-pistachio tree savannas to rural household incomes in Malekshahi County, Ilam Province, considering both cash and subsistence sources, and direct as well as indirect incomes. Direct forest-extractive incomes prove to be comparatively small (6% of household incomes), and are dominated by foods (wild vegetables, pistachios, and fruits), fuels, and livestock feeds. However, forest incomes are egalitarian in distribution, and strategic in their nature: they keep one-fifth of households from falling below the poverty line. The poorest are thus also more forest- and firewood-reliant, but more surprisingly, so are specialized pastoralists. Moreover, indirect benefits in terms of forest inputs into agriculture are crucial: 20–25% of the crops are planted in tree savannas generating 7–9% of household incomes. All forests support goat and sheep grazing in the dry season as a vital refuge of vegetation resources, likely with an even higher value of household income (around 10%). Future research should look closer into those forest-farm linkages.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"108 - 125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1571447","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44086536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Menelisi Falayi, S. Shackleton, Georgina Cundill Kemp, C. Shackleton
{"title":"Changes in household use and sale of locally collected environmental resources over a 15-year period in a rural village, South Africa","authors":"Menelisi Falayi, S. Shackleton, Georgina Cundill Kemp, C. Shackleton","doi":"10.1080/14728028.2019.1568309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2019.1568309","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Many rural areas are experiencing rapid social-ecological changes, impacting livelihoods and creating less certain futures. Despite several decades of research on the use of locally collected environmental resources there have been few repeat studies, especially in South and Southern Africa, to consider how households may be altering such use alongside other changes. This paper explores changes in the use of environmental resources by communities in the Kat River Valley, South Africa over a fifteen-year period, between 2000 and 2015, using a repeat survey, key informant interviews and other data from a larger study relating to social-ecological change. The proportion of households collecting different environmental resources was similar between the two periods. However, the mean quantities used per household had declined for several resources . Consequently, the monetary contribution or worth of these to livelihoods also declined, except for fuelwood and river sand. These changes can be related to, amongst others, transformations in both the local landscape and socio-economic environment, such as increases in state social welfare, a decline in agricultural production, woody plant encroachment, generational preferences, and the expansion of supermarket retailers. Understanding such trends is important for considering the sustainable management of landscapes and livelihoods into the future.","PeriodicalId":12422,"journal":{"name":"Forests, Trees and Livelihoods","volume":"28 1","pages":"107 - 90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/14728028.2019.1568309","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47077951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}