The economic value ofAcacia karrooin small-scale farming systems and game farming in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Synopsis The purpose of the investigation was to examine current knowledge, by local people, of the agroforestry roles and the economic importance that the Acacia karroo tree plays in the farming systems or small-scale farmers and game farming in the Dundee district in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Interviews were conducted in 111 selected households and game farms using a rapid appraisal approach. Results showed that the entire sample population was aware of the beneficial roles played by Acacia karroo in the agroecosystem and had a least one tree in their homestead, field and/or grazing land. The roles identified by the respondents were: providing shelter to people and animals (98%), fodder for game and livestock (96%), fuel (93%), indicator of ‘sweet veld’ good soils and good grazing (87%), controlling soil erosion (71%), indicator of water in arid areas (37%), maintaining soil fertility and productivity (36%), dependence of certain butterfly larvae species and birds that feed on these larva (8%) and the...