Search

Mitigation and adaptation to climate change in developing countries require sustainable forest management through either retaining the forest unharvested, i.e., conservation or an increased need for proper tree harvesting. However, significant number of trees harvested in miombo woodland of mainland Tanzania are not cut at the specified stump height, i.e., 15 cm from the ground. Leaving extra stump height (ESH) would escalate wood volume removals and hence carbon emissions. Better insights on the extent of wood volume and carbon emissions of ESH in miombo woodlands are apparently needed. This study intended to estimate volume and carbon of ESH in miombo woodland of mainland Tanzania. Based on a sample of 5 264 stumps collected in miombo woodlands of Mainland Tanzania, total annual volume and annual carbon per hectare of ESH were estimated by using equation applicable to cylinder in R software. Result revealed that total annual volume, annual volume and carbon per hectare lost through ESH were 3 800 000 m−3 year−1, 0.098 ± 0.034m3ha−1 year−1 and 0.028 ± 0.009 tCha−1 year−1, respectively. The volume and carbon loss from ESH per hectare per year escalate 6% and 5% of more volume and carbon removals, respectively, in the entire miombo woodlands and its categories in mainland Tanzania. Since annual volume loss of ESH is almost ¼ of annual volume deficit of 19.5 million m3year−1, the deficit and further removals could be lowered through adhering to appropriate harvesting regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Land use plans have been considered as a solution to land use problems and hence enhance ecological, economic and social sustainability of land use. Appropriateness of land use plans and hence its potential for adherence may rely on sufficiency of zones allocated for different land uses. Goal and Objectives: This study was designed to empirically identify land use implementation problems and suggest solutions relevant to the land users, the government, planners and other stakeholders. Specifically, the study assesses: (1) The extent to which the land use zones cover all zones needed by the stakeholders and; (2) Reasons for levels of sufficiency of the allocated land use zones. Methodology: Data were collected through household survey of 120 respondents from two villages, key informants, focus group discussions and field observation survey while secondary data were collected through review of guidelines for land use planning, village land use plans, district land use framework, books and journals. Information used to assess sufficiency of land use zones used in Village Land Use Plans (VLUP) from household survey and village records were descriptively analyzed. Results: The implementation of village land use plans was not done as expected. Land use zones were insufficient in terms of the allocated size and needs within the zones for current and future situation because of increasing population, overstocking, and lack of infrastructure necessary within specific zones. Other factors included inadequate consideration for uncertainties in population projection standard, unclear zoning regulation and discrepancy in population data. Based on the findings and conclusions, this study makes the following recommendations. First, the National Land Use Planning Commission should devise mechanisms to ensure that all the six steps of land use planning are completed towards implementable land use plans. Secondly, the national land use planning commission should review zoning standards to sufficiently allocate the land use zones. The population projections used for future allocation of land had influence on the sufficiency of the zones where the rate of population increase is assumed to be fixed throughout the ten years implementation period without consideration of uncertainties. It is worth incorporating GIS to establish trend of land use and forecast future land use to sufficiently allocate land during the 10 years lifespan of the VLUP. Thirdly, the national land use planning commission need to validate spatial data and population data at village level to avoid discrepancies which affect implementation of the village land use plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]