Abstract
Human disturbances are the human activities, whether legally or illegally conducted in an ecosystem as they may lead to removal or death of plants. The study was piloted at Mahungu Green Belt Forest Reserve (MGFR) in 2015 to examine the effect of human disturbances. Systematic random sampling was applied. A total of 36 plots of 50 m x 50 m were established in the seven transects at an interval of 400 m. Ongoing human activities were identified and recorded. GPS was applied to locate plots, aligning transects and recording coordinates. The compass was used to direct the transect. 100 m tape was used to measure the plots. Inferential statistics was applied whereby human activities frequency and relative frequency were calculated. The identified and recorded most frequently occurred human activities were firewood collection, charcoal making, grazing and trespass routes. MGFR is potential in terms of biological diversity; it is recommended that; introduction ecotourism as and environmentally friendly projects; determination of all plant species of MGFR; education campaigns by Dodoma Universities; encourage woodlot development at household level; awareness creation; provision of environmental conservation education; enhance non-woody income-generating projects; discourage settlement expansion into the remaining forest patch; funds should be made available throughout to ensure regular patrols by field security guides, and enhance alternative sources of energy to the local people
Highlights
Green belts have been known to be areas of vegetation or a mass plantation of pollutanttolerant trees for mitigating the air pollution by intercepting, filtering and absorbing pollutants in a sustainable manner (UNEP, 2007; Missanjo et al 2015)
This study aimed to investigate the effect of human disturbances on Mahungu Green Belt Forest Reserve (MGFR), as shown in Figure 1 below
The study was conducted at Mahungu Green Belt Forest Reserve (MGBFR) located at 60 23’ 5” S and 350 45’ 42’’ E continuing to the south at 60 18’7’’ S and 350 48’ 9’’ E, 60 15’ 07’’ S and 60 51’ 2’’ E to the west and 60 08’ 33’’ S and 35040’ 08’’ E to the eastern end of the forest reserve (Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS))
Summary
Green belts have been known to be areas of vegetation or a mass plantation of pollutanttolerant trees for mitigating the air pollution by intercepting, filtering and absorbing pollutants in a sustainable manner (UNEP, 2007; Missanjo et al 2015). The green belt is an area of open land or open space around a city on which building is restricted. The National Forest Policy (URT, 1998) stated that green belt is all land bearing a vegetative association dominated by trees of any size, exploitable or not, and capable of producing wood or other products. Green belt forest reserves represent potential approach towards the enhanced supply of ecosystem goods and services in many urban and peri-urban areas in the tropics, including Dodoma Municipality. MGFR as a part of the whole green belt of Dodoma municipality. It was established by the United Republic of Tanzania under Capital Development Authority (CDA) in 1973 so as to carter for firewood, recreational, windbreak and climate regulation in the city. Biological diversity often has immediate significance to traditional societies whose people live close to the land and water sources (Primack, 2006)
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