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Schinziophyton rautanenii is a keystone tree species whose fruits are eaten by wildlife and livestock, nuts are used to extract oil for human use and its wood is used for making curios that are sold to tourists. The species occurs in southern African countries of Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo but little is known about its population and conservation status. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess factors determining the distribution and abundance of the species in Zambia, (ii) evaluate its regeneration potential and population status and (iii) assess whether the main determinants of forest and species stand structures also favour S. rautanenii. The study is based on three forest surveys conducted in 2004, 2005–2008 and 2015. In Zambia S. rautanenii abundance and population structure are controlled by soil, climate and human factors. The species is most abundant in southwest Zambia where population recruitment is good but is rare and recruitment is poor elsewhere in the country. Fire appears to be a major cause of tree damage and possibly death. The elephant is a major disperser of S. rautanenii nuts and the low recruitment levels in the country may partly be attributed to the decline in the elephant population from about 250,000 in 1960 to 28,000 in 2008. Different conservation strategies will be required for areas where the species is rare and for those where the species is abundant. Whatever the strategies, it will be important to address issues of fire management, fruit harvesting and the role of wildlife in the conservation of S. rautanenii in Zambia.

Charcoal production in tropical regions of the world is often perceived to have devastating ecological and environmental effects and governments, public forestry institutions and non government organizations have been particularly concerned about these charcoal-related impacts. The most commonly cited impact is deforestation, i.e., the clearance of forest or woodland. At a small spatial scale this may indeed be the case but on a larger landscape scale charcoal production most frequently results only in forest degradation. Much of the charcoal in tropical countries is commonly made in traditional earth and pit kilns with a wood-to-charcoal conversion rate of about 20% and in 2009 the contribution of charcoal production to deforestation in tropical countries with the highest rates of deforestation is estimated at less than 7%. A large proportion of the area utilized for charcoal production has the potential for rapid forest recovery especially with good post-harvest management. There are conflicting reports on the effects of deforestation on catchment hydrology with the majority of small catchment studies indicating increased runoff and low evapotranspiration while studies of large basins have shown no such changes. Emissions of greenhouse gases from charcoal production in tropical ecosystems in 2009 are estimated at 71.2 million t for carbon dioxide and 1.3 million t for methane. The failure of past charcoal policies to address environmental impacts and achieve sustainability can be attributed to erroneous assumptions and predictions by national and international organizations regarding wood-based fuels. Possible ways of enhancing charcoal policies' legitimacy and therefore effective implementation are multi-stakeholder participation and demonstration of coherence with globally recognized principles, goals and relevant international regimes, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In this way charcoal production can significantly contribute to poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.