Some Guidelines For Reduced Impact Timber Harvesting Practices In Miombo Woodlands

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The Miombo woodlands are one of the largest dry forest types in Africa, covering over 2.7 million km-2 in eastern, central and southern Africa; including Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Over 20 percent of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on the Miombo woodlands for their livelihood in terms of food, direct revenues, employment, forage for animals, tourism, fuel, timber and non-timber forest products. Miombo woodlands which occupy over 60 million hectares of land in Zambia and Tanzania contribute to the economies of these countries in terms of direct revenues, tourism, employment, raw materials for building and mining industries, energy and non wood products. Unfortunately, indiscriminate exploitation for timber, charcoal and other products, frequent destructive woodland fires and expansion of agricultural activities have of recent contributed to eroding the environmental importance and ecological diversity of this type of forest. With fast growing populations around these forests, this is likely to increase pressure even further on these forests. Proper management and utilization of these forests are therefore important if they are to sustained future uses. This paper outlines the current harvesting principles and documents procedures to follow in order to improve the existing harvesting practices in Miombo woodlands in southern and eastern Africa using Tanzania and Zambia as case studies. The document recommends improved procedures and techniques, which if adopted will lead to improved productivity, improved environmental value, health status of the residual forest and improved socio-economic benefits at local and national levels. The paper is intended to be used by policy makers, forest departments logging managers, field supervisors, communities and other stakeholders involved in timber harvesting with an objective to promote harvesting practices that improve productivity sustainable and efficient resource utilization while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Keywords : Reduced impact logging miombo woodlands - pre-harvest planning – platform sawing - post harvest impact assessment Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation Vol. 77 2008: pp. 54-72