Regeneration and Restoration Status of Miombo Woodland Following Land Use Land Cover Changes at the Buffer Zone of Gile National Park, Central Mozambique

Abstract

In the context of the current intensified disturbances of Miombo woodland, its regenerating capacity is fundamental to endure such disturbances. Miombo woodland in the buffer zone of Gile National Park (GNAP) is facing land cover change. This study aimed to assess regeneration structure, the status of restoration, and factors affecting the regeneration of Miombo woodland in the buffer zone of GNAP. In total, 12 transects, 48 plots, and 240 subplots were sampled in dense Miombo woodland (DMWL), open Miombo woodland (OMWL), and abandoned agricultural land (AAL) to collect data. Household interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and key informant interviews(KIIs) were used to collect socio-economic data. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square, and regression, were used to analyze data. A total of 1863 matured woody individuals representing 85 species and 29 families were identified. Matured woody species density was significantly different between AAL&DMWL and DMWL & OMWL. However, there was no significant difference between OMWL and AAL. Nine hundred three regenerated individuals representing 70 species and 23 families were registered. Regeneration density was significantly different between land-use types. The mean regeneration density in DMWL, AAL, and OMWL were 39.87±13.82, 50.25±21.1, and 23 ± 9.98 stems ha−1, respectively. The most regenerated family was Fabaceae. All respondents reported that no assisted restoration activity was/is taking place in the area. The five most important factors affecting the regeneration of Miombo woodland were identified. Slash and burn agriculture and animal grazing were ranked first and last, respectively. Increasing pressure for land demand is determining factor for Miombo woodland regeneration. The buffer zone of GNAP is characterized by a moderate diversity of woody species, with the number of regenerated woody species increasing in AAL. Our findings suggest the importance of diversifying sources of income, creating a market value chain for their product, and strengthening collaboration between the park and the community surrounding the park could reduce the dependence of the community on slash and burn agriculture as well as safeguard the park from degradation and at the same time maintain the livelihood of the community.