Browsing by Author "Monela, G. C."

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    Charcoal Potential of Miombo Woodlands at Kitulangalo, Tanzania
    (2005) Malimbwi, R. E.; Zahabu, Eliakimu; Monela, G. C.; Misana, Salome B.; Jambiya, George C.; Mchome, B.
    A study was carried out to determine the charcoal potential of the miombo woodlands of Kitulangalo area, near Morogoro, Tanzania. Systematic sampling design used in an inventory in 1996 was repeated in 1999 in order to determine the general current stand parameters and forest change. A total of 46 sample plots were laid out in the forest reserve. In adjacent public lands stratified random sampling was applied where a total of 30 plots were laid out. The layout was meant to study how species richness and wood stocking vary in public lands and forest reserve. Preferred tree species for charcoal making had standing wood volume of 24.5 m3ha-1 and 56.5 m3ha -1 in public lands and reserved forest respectively with corresponding basal area of 3.7 m2ha-1 and 7.2 m 2ha-1. Stem numbers were 909 stems ha-1 in public lands and 354 stems ha-1 in the reserved forest. These values indicated more regeneration in public lands following disturbance than in the forest reserve. The weight of charcoal that can be extracted from the woodland at the roadside was 56 kg, equivalent to only one bag of charcoal per hectare. Similarly 54 bags may be extracted at 5 km distance while 125 bags may be extracted from beyond 10 km from the highway. With the established stand growth rate of 2.3 m3 ha-1 year-1 for the regrowth of miombo woodland at Kitulangalo, it will take about 8 to 15 years for the degraded woodlands to recover for charcoal production. Therefore, for sustainable charcoal production in this area, felling cycles of 8 to 15 years are recommended, provided the minimum tree size of > 10 cm dbh (diameter at breast height) for charcoal making is observed.
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    Impact of Charcoal Extraction to the Forest Resources of Tanzania: The Case of Kitulangalo Area, Tanzania
    (2000) Malimbwi, R. E.; Misana, Salome B.; Monela, G. C.; Jambiya, George C.; Zahabu, Eliakimu
    Research is being undertaken to expand the knowledge about the biomass potential for supplying charcoal to urban centres and find workable policy tools that will enable sustainable production and use of charcoal in the medium term perspective. The project, CHAPOSA (Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa) focuses on the dynamics of charcoal production in supply areas (mainly woodlands) and its consumption in three major cities: Lusaka, Zambia, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Maputo, Mozambique. The three year research project is funded by European Union (EU) and co-ordinated by Stockhom Environmental Institute (SEI). In each of the three partner countries, socio-economic and ecological aspects of charcoal are being studied in the supply areas and charcoal consumption and market forces studies are being undertaken in the cities. Preliminary results on the supply side are presented for Tanzania in this paper. At Kitulangalo one of the charcoal supplying areas in Tanzania, an average charcoal making household produce 43 bags of charcoal per month, charcoal is sold at kiln site at Tshs. 1,000/= per bag. The household realizes an income of Tshs. 43,000/= per month. This income is above the minimum salary rates paid currently to government workers and hence attracts more people to join the business.
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    Land Cover Dynamics As A Result Of Charcoal Production: Use Of Remote Sensing And Gis
    (2008) Mbilinyi, Boniface P.; Misana, Salome B.; Malimbwi, R. E.; Monela, G. C.; Jambiya, George
    Charcoal is the most important energy source for middle and low-income people in many African cities. Its consumption shows no sign of decrease for the reasons of cost, convenience and availability. The use of charcoal, however, has been blamed for deforestation and degradation of natural forests and woodlands. To increase the understanding of the effects of charcoal use in three countries in Southern Africa: Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique, a collaborative project, CHAPOSA (Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa), was conducted. One of the project objectives was to assess the extent of environmental degradation due to charcoal production and to identify indicators that can quantify and locate such degradation. To meet this objective, an integration of remote sensing, using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data, and Geographical Information System (GIS) tools was used to quantify and locate land cover changes, particularly degradation and regeneration of woodlands that had occurred in the study area between 1991 and 1998. The results reveal that, in the study period, much of the closed woodland has been converted to either open woodland or other cover types including agricultural farms. However, in some locations regeneration of woodlands has been observed. This precludes the presumption that cutting down trees for charcoal production must result in irreversible degradation. Given the fact that charcoal is and will remain, at least in a foreseeable future, the main domestic energy source, sustainable use of the woodland coupled with more use of other energy sources seems to be our best strategy if we want to sustain the remaining woodland.