Department of Forest and Wood Science

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Browsing Department of Forest and Wood Science by browse.metadata.advisor "Chirwa, P. W."

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    Forest biomass energy use and perceptions on tree planting and community woodlots in households of two rural communities in Keiskammahoek, Eastern Cape, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-12) Maphiri, Stella; Chirwa, P. W.; Kleynhans, T.; Ham, Cori; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Access to secure energy supplies is widely acknowledged as a critical foundation for sustainable development. Rural households are highly dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods including energy needs. Fuelwood is a non-timber forest product (NTFP) that accounts for one of the main uses of forests and woodlands. Despite substantial household electrification programmes in South Africa, the use of fuelwood as a source of energy continues. This study aimed to analyze fuelwood use patterns of two rural villages situated in Keiskammahoek in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in order to understand the perceptions of the community members regarding communal tree planting. The study was conducted in two rural villages, namely, Cata and Tshoxa. A total of 120 respondents from both villages were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires to collect data on the use of fuelwood and evaluate their perception on tree planting. The study revealed that up to 77% of the people living in Keiskammahoek used fuelwood as a major source of energy and that women were the main collectors and users of fuelwood. In the rural Cata, food is cooked in three-legged pots over open fires while in Tshoxa food is mainly cooked over paraffin and electric stoves. The respondents from both villages did not have energy conservation measures in place and improved wood stoves have not been introduced in this region. The local community of Cata was also involved in tree planting on a community level, while both villages were also involved in tree planting at a household level. The study concluded that fuelwood was the most important product from the forests in both rural areas and natural forests were a valuable source of other NTFPs; most notably indigenous fruit products. In addition most of the fuelwood was used for cooking and heating purposes but that there was no deliberate use of energy efficient methods. On tree planting, the study showed that communities from both rural villages have an interest in planting trees around their households; with preference for fruit and shade trees.
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    Forest resource use and management in two villages in the former Ciskei, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-12) Gugushe, Nomathamsanqa M.; Chirwa, P. W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rural communities in South Africa are similar to communities in other areas of the developing world in terms of obtaining natural resources. A wide range of resources are harvested from the communal woodlands and processed for home consumption and sale. Until recently, there has been little recognition of the contribution these common pool resources make to the rural economy. In South Africa, only a few studies have attempted to estimate the monetary value of widely used non-timber woodland products. Natural resources valuation techniques were used to estimate the values of the direct consumption of woodland resources by households in two rural villages: Woodlands, and Pirrie Mission, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The two villages are situated next to two different vegetation types. Woodlands is in valley bushveld while Pirrie Mission is next to high mountain forest. The approach involved a combination of household interviews, participatory group sessions, key informant interviews and natural vegetation assessment. Questions were designed in such a way that they established the types of resources used, the frequency of use, quantities used, their availability, the extent to which they are traded both locally and in more distant markets and forms of management preferred. Participatory Vegetation assessment was done in order to monitor the forest use in both vegetation areas over a period of a year. Results indicated that in both study areas, all households were gathering or purchasing at least some woodland resources, with the most frequently used resources being fuelwood (48% in Woodlands and 51% in Pirrie Mission), branches (4% in Woodlands and 7% in Pirrie Mission), poles (21 % in Woodlands and 20% in Pirrie Mission), fencing (15% in Woodlands and 16% in Pirrie Mission) and herbs for medicinal purposes (12% in Woodlands and 7% in Pirrie Mission). Fuel wood and branches contributed to the largest proportion of overall value in both villages. There was no difference in terms of resource use despite the differing tenure of the woody resources. The majority of people from both villages ( 41 % in Woodlands and 29% in Pirrie Mission) believed that their woody resources could be used and managed sustainably if villagers and village management authorities could be involved in decision making on how to use them. Quantitative results of vegetation assessment revealed that the State Forest found at Pirrie Mission has a relatively high growth rate with mean values ranging between 0.01- 0.17 as compared to a communal woodland found in Woodlands village. Sustainable utilisation is critical to the survival of the indigenous woody vegetation. Based on the findings of this study one can conclude that both the community woodland and State forest are over-harvested. This can be attributed to the fact that after the 1994 elections, the State forest became available to all as the Government withdrew the management strategies used before the 1994 Government elections in South Africa.
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    Livelihood and income generation from the woodcarving trade in the Cape Town area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-12) Mikolo Yobo, Christian; Chirwa, P. W.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science.
    While the contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in sustaining livelihoods of the poor is gaining global attention, the importance of woodcarving trade in sustaining the livelihoods of the poor people has been poorly researched. A study was conducted in Cape Town area of the Western Province, South Africa to assess the contribution of woodcarving trade to the livelihoods of the traders and the dynamics of the trade, and institutional constraints impacting on the development of the trade. A total of 61 traders in wood carving, as well as municipal authorities and key informants, were interviewed using structured questionnaires; note taking, personal observations, and in-depth interview based open-ended questions. The findings of the study revealed that the woodcarving trade is a highly male (69%) dominated activity. Most traders were married (55%) and most of the respondents (63%) fell within the active age group of 21-35 years. The wood carving trade was dominated by highly literate people with 66% and 25% having reached secondary and tertiary education, respectively. The study also revealed that “earning a living” represented the single most important factor (70%) that pushed people into the wood carving trade. Most traders (85%) did not own property but for those who owned property, 56% were South Africans followed by Zimbabweans (22%). The study showed that most of the woodcarving products arriving in the Western Cape come from the SADC region accounting for 78% of the products. Malawi (36%), Zimbabwe (30%) and Kenya (13%) are the main sources of the wooden crafts curio into the Western Cape woodcraft market. The study also found that Dalbergia melanoxylon from Zimbabwe (47%) and Malawi (16%) and Brachylaena huillensis from Kenya (47%) and Afzelia quanzensis from Zimbabwe (27%) represent the most traded wood species. The wood for carving was mainly accessed through intermediate agents (48%) and on site purchase (43%); and polishing represented the most important process (80%) of value adding compared to painting and shining. Personal cars (38%) and buses (36%) were the main means of transportation used compared to other forms of transport. It was shown that cost (48%) and customer based price (33%) represented the main pricing methods used by traders. Shop owners had an average income estimated at R 6, 450 and R 2, 692 in good and lean month sales, respectively. In addition, seasonality represented the single most important factor (56%) threatening the woodcarving industry and the livelihood of urban traders compared to factors such as quality of wood product (18%) and scarcity of the resource (10%). This study found that traders had difficulties accessing physical infrastructures (87%); social assets (50%) and human capital (74%). On the other hand, 62% of the traders did not seem to have problems accessing natural assets. As a livelihood strategy, traders also undertook multiple activities including sale of minor products as well as soliciting extra help from companions and/or hiring extra help during peak seasons. For the sustainability of the woodcarving trade in the Western Cape, there is a need for sustained, long-term management of wood species used for carving through domestication and use of alternative wood species. In addition, policies should promote: (i) integrated resource use that will ensure maximum utilisation of the wood from a single tree e.g. timber and wood carving, (ii) the culture of association and cooperation among traders, (iii) collaborative mechanisms involving all players from the forest and the tourism sector as well as the traders, (iv) secure traders’ livelihood assets, (v) an environment favourable to business venture’s expansion and growth through micro-finance and micro-credit schemes.
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    The role of indigenous fruit trees in the rural livelihoods : a case of the Mwekera area, Copperbelt province, Zambia
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-12) Kalaba, Felix Kanungwe; Chirwa, P. W.; Prozesky, H. E.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science.
    The utilization and commercialization of indigenous fruit trees has in the past been overlooked by extension agencies due to the misconception that they do not play a major role in contributing to the rural livelihoods. There is new and increasing emphasis on the contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) on improving the livelihoods and sustainable management of forest ecosystems of the Miombo woodlands. This study was conducted around Mwekera area in the Copperbelt province, Zambia to determine the role of indigenous fruit trees in the rural livelihoods. A total of 70 households were interviewed in the survey using semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth open ended interviews and focus group meetings to collect information on the use of indigenous fruits. The study revealed that 99% of the households experience ‘hunger’ during the rainy season from November to April every year. Ninety seven percent (97%) of the households collect indigenous fruit, with the most collected fruits being Uapaca kirkiana (74%), Anisophyllea boehmii (71%) and Parinari curatellifolia (67%). Additionally, there is very little selling of indigenous fruit (31%) but that Uapaca kirkiana and Anisophyllea boehmii account for 95% of the fruits sold. Forty six percent (46%) of the households process fruits of U. kirkiana, A. boehmii and P. curatellifolia into juice and/or porridge. Furthermore IFTs are also used as traditional medicine. Sixty three percent (63%) of the households used IFTs for medicinal purposes with two-thirds of the respondents citing Anisophyllea boehmii as an important medicinal tree species. The study also showed that 85% of the respondents have seen a change in the forest cover resulting into loss of biodiversity with 70% of the respondents indicating that the change is with respect to reduction in forest size and scarcity of some species; and that charcoal production and clearance of land for cultivation are the major causes of the scarcity of indigenous fruit trees. It is concluded that the major contribution of IFTs in the study area is in filling the gap during times of hunger rather as being a source of income through selling. Charcoal production and clearance for agriculture are the main contributing agents for the loss of biodiversity and scarcity of IFTs. It is recommended that domestication of IFTs and sustainable forestry and agricultural management practices be employed to ensure that future generations continue to benefit from the forest resource.
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    Use, physiology and genetic characterisation of selected natural populations of Adansonia Digitata in Malawi
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Munthali, Chimuleke Rowland Yagontha; Chirwa, P. W.; Akinnifesi, Festus K.; Meincken, Martina; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: See full text for abstract