Abstract
Acacia xanthophloea (the ‘fever tree’) is a popular medicinal species that is traded widely in South Africa. Although it occurs throughout southern Africa, there is increasing pressure on its riverine and marshy habitats. This study compares the impact of harvesting on an A. xanthophloea population located on private land near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, with two protected populations situated within the Kruger National Park. The densities of the harvested and protected populations were similar (84±8 trees/ha and 85±20 trees/ha, respectively). There were fluctuations in the quotients between frequencies of trees in successive diameter classes, which is common in savanna where high levels of fire, mega-herbivore and anthropogenic disturbance are experienced. The extent of stem damage (stripping of bark and breakage) by elephants in the protected area was significantly higher than the extent of harvesting on private land, although the degree of damage was relatively low, with only 7 % of the populations having been damaged at rates >26 %. The degree of harvesting on private land was relatively low, with the majority of trees having been harvested at rates of less than 10 % of the stem below 2 m. Despite this, ringbarking had occurred (4 %). The basal diameters and heights were significantly lower in the protected population than in the harvested one, suggesting that over time elephant impact was the more severe disturbance. Acacia xanthophloea exhibited high resilience to disturbance, with all the elephant damaged trees and harvested individuals surviving. However, the mean bark thickness measured in local markets (6.3±1.4 mm) was significantly lower than that measured in either the harvested (12.4±1.0 mm) or the KNP (10.3±0.8 mm) populations. As harvesters tend to select the largest individuals in a population to maximise their financial returns, this could mean that smaller individuals are being harvested, and/or bark is not being given sufficient time to grow back after harvesting. Acacia xanthophloea outside protected areas thus need to be monitored and the management improved, preferably in conjunction with the resource users. In addition, traditional healers, those selling medicinal plants and other members of the community need to continue to be encouraged to cultivate this fast growing species.
Highlights
IntroductionAcacia xanthophloea Benth. (the ‘fever tree’) is widespread in the lowveld areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Northern Province, through to east Africa (CoatesPalgrave 1990)
Acacia xanthophloea Benth. is widespread in the lowveld areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Northern Province, through to east Africa (CoatesPalgrave 1990)
This paper presents data that permit a comparative evaluation of the impacts of mega-herbivores within a protected area and human harvesting outside the protected area on localised populations of A. xanthophloea, as part of the larger survey of Botha (2001)
Summary
Acacia xanthophloea Benth. (the ‘fever tree’) is widespread in the lowveld areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Northern Province, through to east Africa (CoatesPalgrave 1990). The Venda vernacular name, ‘muunga gwena’ (meaning ‘predict the crocodile’), warns of potential inhabitants sharing the low lying, swampy or riverine habitats of this species. Nacular name (ukhanyakude) means ‘shining from afar’, and refers to the smooth, fluorescent green bark of the tree. The tree is frequently a community dominant in swampy or riverine environments. The leaves, shoots and pods are browsed by domestic livestock and wild game. It is a favoured species of the African elephant Loxodonta africana, which may cause extensive damage to tree species with limited and localised populations (Cumming et al 1997; Eckhardt et al 2000), including A. xanthophloea (Van Wyk 1984)
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