Amount Of Charcoal Research Articles

Food offerings and firewood: Integrated archaeobotanical analyses of seed/fruit and wood charcoal remains from a Hellenistic-Roman Cemetery on Tinos Island, Cyclades

Archaeobotanical studies have already been widely and successfully used in Greece for the Neolithic to Iron Age periods, yet they were mostly omitted in Classical archaeology. This was justified by the existence of ancient texts, that provide information on plant use in Antiquity. However, not every aspect of life and plant use is described in ancient texts, and additionally, research of past vegetation relies solely on the studies of plant remains. A rescue excavation of a Hellenistic-Roman cemetery with pyres and graves on Tinos Island in the Cyclades provided not only charred seeds/fruits and leaves, but also large amounts of charcoal. The material enabled the study of food offerings / grave goods of plant origin, as well as the choice and availability of fuel wood for cremations. The olive (Olea europaea) seems to have been an important food crop on the island, as it was found in high quantities, accompanied by barley (Hordeum vulgare) and other cereals (Cerealia), as well as cereal products (ACO = amorphous charred objects), figs (Ficus carica) and grapes (Vitis vinifera). Fuel wood for the cremations was mainly based on evergreen oak (Quercus sect. Ilex) and olive wood (Olea europaea), the latter probably deriving from prunings produced in olive groves. Other macroremains, such as a leaf of kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), myrtle charcoal (Myrtus communis) and heather leaves (Erica manipuliflora) point to fuel harvest in Phrygana shrubland, which is the main vegetation form found on the island today.

Evaluation of Charcoal Usage and Its Influence on Deforestation in Makurdi Metropolis Benue State, Nigeria

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of impure carbon obtained from vegetation substance and produced by pyrolysis, the heating of wood in the absence of oxygen. Charcoal is considered the major source of energy for the inhabitants of Makurdi metropolis. The study was conducted to assess the consumption of charcoal in Makurdi metropolis. Five council wards were selected purposively for data collection. The selected wards are noted for having large quantities of charcoal and consumers almost all year round. The wards selected are Agan, Fiidi, Wadata, Modern Market, and North Bank. From each council ward, 20 respondents were drawn using a random sampling technique. 100 respondents were selected and interviewed using a pre-tested checklist (questionnaire) to collect primary data. From the result, Prosopis africana was the highest used tree species for charcoal with 83.5% then Vitellaria paradoxa with 7.9%. Also, 88% of the respondents preferred charcoal for cooking in providing food for the family because of its affordability compared to other cooking energy sources. Therefore, it is inferred that charcoal has a positive impact on the lives of consumers since affordability is considered the main reason why the majority of households use charcoal. However, the continuous use of forest trees threatens the future of our forest estate and biodiversity leading to land degradation, endangering of species and enhancement of global warming. Therefore, Alternative energy sources should be encouraged for household fuel to ease the pressure on charcoal.

Quantification and Determinants of Carbonization Yield in the Rural Zone of Lubumbashi, DR Congo: Implications for Sustainable Charcoal Production

Although charcoal production is a source of income, it is often associated with deforestation due to the felling of trees in rural areas. In this study, we quantified the yield of carbonization in the rural area of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), and identified its determinants. By analyzing 20 kilns of professional producers in different villages, we found that these charcoal producers build large kilns, which contained an average of 46.9 ± 21.5 m3 of wood from 19 species of Miombo woodland trees, with a predominance of Julbernardia paniculata (Benth.) Troupin, alongside Brachystegia microphylla Harms and B. spiciformis Benth. The average carbonization yield was 10.2%, varying from village to village due to parameters such as kiln size, quantity of wood used, kiln coverage time, wind exposure, substrate type, and tree species. It was noted that the moisture content and dimensions of the wood did not significantly correlate with the quantity of charcoal harvested per kiln. Yield improvement should, therefore, take these parameters into account to enable charcoal producers to increase their income while adopting sustainable production practices.

Lakes cannot burn and buried charcoals cannot fly: Reconciling lake- versus soil-based reconstructions of past forest dynamics

Fundamental understanding of paleoecological proxies is necessary when attempting to compare, complement, or contrast two or more methods, and lack thereof may lead to erroneous conclusions. This comment addresses three such misunderstandings found in a recently published paper by Paillard et al. regarding soil macrofossil charcoal analysis (SMCA) and its relationship to lacustrine sediment analysis. The aim is to correct some misinformation associated with the following three assertions: (1) Broadleaved tree species produce fewer charcoal fragments than coniferous species. Although coniferous stands are more fire-prone, experimental burning shows that species with denser wood, that is, broadleaves, produce greater amounts of charcoal under similar fire conditions. (2) Preservation of charcoal particles is poor at the referenced study site. Once buried in the mineral soil compartment, charcoal particles remain quite stable. As such, SMCA has revealed Late Pleistocene marginal stands of broadleaved species. (3) Underestimating the importance of range-edge dynamics on the results of SMCA reconstructions. SMCA offers a stand-scale historical reconstruction that has proven well-suited to study peripheral stands and to reflect the heterogeneity of a landscape mosaic. By attempting to reconcile the SMCA (in situ) and lake sediments (ex situ) narratives, Paillard et al. missed one key aspect of comparing complementary proxies: they show different aspects of the past.

Determinants of charcoal production and marketing in the Mankranso forest district in the Ashanti region of Ghana

This study sought to investigate the determinants of participating in charcoal production and trade as well as explore the marketing strategies used by charcoal value chain actors and the challenges confronting the charcoal business. A multistage sampling approach was employed to sample 120 respondents in five communities in Ahafo Ano South District. Descriptive statistics, binary probit regression and qualitative approaches were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that education, household size, marital status, ethnicity, farm size, proximity to the production site and regulations on charcoal production are the significant determinant of charcoal production with diverse effects. Also, gender, education, marital status, ethnicity, the quantity of charcoal produced, cost of packaging material, FBO membership, availability of storeroom, regulation of charcoal production, and ready market are the determinants of charcoal marketing. The qualitative discussion revealed that charcoal producers and traders utilise a couple of marketing strategies. Thus, pricing strategies such as pan seasonal, pan territorial, cost plus pricing and competitive pricing are all used by the respondents. Also, charcoal is packaged into different sizes and weight which ranges from mini bag, maxi bag and jumbo bags. Again, the margin analysis indicated that retailers make more margins than the other authors in the charcoal value chain. Averagely, retailers make 28.30 per 50 kg bag when dealing directly with farmers. The most pressing challenges faced by the respondents are levies paid, the tedious nature of charcoal production and trade, limited access to credit, lack of government support, limited transport system and lack of storage facilities. It is therefore recommended that other tribes in the producing areas need to be educated on the potential fortunes in charcoal production to orient them towards engaging in the venture. Moreover, investment should be channelled towards developing charcoal markets and also improving accessibility by improving road networks and making available means of transport to the producing areas to aid market access.

Domestic Energy Consumption and Its Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Insights from Koulikoro Urban Community, Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Mali in West Africa

The objective of this study is to estimate the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by domestic energy (firewood and charcoal) in the urban commune of Koulikoro, Mali. This study employed questionnaire survey to identify the type of energies used, their costs, the quantity consumed, and the difficulties of access to these energies and their impact on natural resources in Koulikoro. The consumption of each family per neighbourhood was extrapolated to its total population to determine the carbon emitted and the carbon dioxide released. Thus, the carbon dioxide emitted in tonnes per neighbourhood was determined. The findings revealed three types of energy in the urban commune of Koulikoro, mainly firewood 72%, charcoal 25% and Gas 3%. The use of these energy sources depends on accessibility and availability. The increase in consumption per district is a function of the number of people. Daily used charcoal was estimated at 2 kg day-1 and 7 kg day-1 for firewood. Overall, average firewood using was highest in largest household size and it was 62% higher than in small size category which recorded the lowest. Annual amount of charcoal used was 676 kg year-1 and 2294 kg year-1 for firewood. However, annual amount of fuelwood per person was higher in small size category and 178% greater than in largest household group than other household size. Carbon consumption per capita per year was greater in small household group estimate to be 477 kg pns-1 year-1. Thus, the urban commune of Koulikoro has a significant carbon dioxide emission and firewood emits more CO2 than charcoal.

Comparaison Des Consommations De Charbon De Bois Des Foyers Améliorés Et Des Foyers Métalliques, Une Approche Modélisée

A survey of households in a suburban area of Madagascar has enabled us to discern the use of improved cook stoves and metal charcoal stoves, depending on the socio-economic, cultural and technical factors characterizing the households. This study presents a model of charcoal consumption for these two stoves, using quantitative and qualitative variables. The models developed make it possible to compare the two stoves in terms of the average quantity of charcoal consumed monthly by the households. As a result, for both stoves, household size correlates positively with charcoal consumption, while price correlates inversely. A forecast charcoal price of 725 Ariary (local currency) per kilo results in an 11.3% drop in consumption, on average, for both types of charcoal stove. However, a 2.8% reduction in charcoal expenditure with improved cook stoves, and just 0.15% with metal stoves. Households with metal households are therefore less sensitive to price variations. The life-standing character of the electricity bill is also verified, i.e. wealthier families consume more electrical energy than poorer ones. With metal stoves, the number of baccalaureate holders correlates positively with charcoal consumption. As for the type of housing occupied by households, the better it is, the lower the charcoal consumption. Furthermore, it is proved that the charcoal saved by using improved cook stoves is only 2.44% by weight. Households using improved cook stoves consumed an average of 9.663 kg/cap/month, compared with 9.899 kg/cap/month for metal stoves. This is still a long way from the expected results. Market regulation, training and sensitizing activities concerning improved cook stoves are needed to achieve the objectives set and to ensure the sustainability of the programs promoting these stoves.

Optimum carbonization of Kevlar fabric for electromagnetic interference shielding applications

The study involved single-stage carbonization and physical activation of Kevlar woven fabric to convert into activated carbon fabric. The carbonization process was optimised for high carbon yield and low electrical resistivity of activated carbon fabric using Box-Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology. The three process parameters namely charcoal amount, gas flow rate, and carbonization temperature were selected. The empirical equations obtained through response surface methodology for carbon yield and electrical resistivity were found in good agreement with the experimental values. An optimum amount of charcoal, optimum nitrogen flowrate, and low carbonization temperature was found suitable for higher carbon yield. On the other hand, high charcoal amount, high carbonization temperature, and optimum nitrogen flow rate resulted in low electrical resistivity of activated carbon fabric. Later, the activated carbon fabrics were prepared under the optimum carbonization conditions to get high carbon yield and low electrical resistivity. The optimized sample for electrical resistivity showed higher electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties at lower as well as higher frequencies due to its highly porous morphology and electrical conductivity.

Investigating Effective Methods and Factors in the Production of Compressed Charcoal from Agricultural Waste

More than 50,000 tons of charcoals are used annually in Iran, which will increase to 100,000 tons per year, taking into account the amount of charcoal exported to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. In order to produce the charcoal needed by the country in the traditional way, more than 300,000 tons of wood are cut and collected from the trunks and branches of trees every year, which will lead to the destruction of the country's forests and green resources. Agricultural by-products, especially rice, cocoa, rubber, pineapple and sugarcane, are produced in large quantities all over the world. Asia alone produces 4.4 billion tons of solid waste annually. The amount of agricultural solid waste produced in Ahvaz city is 2,500,000 tons, almost all of this amount is related to sugarcane cultivation and industries that exist in this province. Wood waste, sugar cane and grass are the most prominent sources of biomass energy and if managed properly, they can be used as a raw material to produce charcoal and create renewable and sustainable energy. The general purpose of this article is to investigate different methods of producing compressed coal from agricultural waste and the factors affecting its production

Charcoal Hearth Remains as Environmental Archives: An Interdisciplinary Study at Poggio di Montieri, Italy

ABSTRACT This contribution presents interdisciplinary research on charcoal hearth remains carried out at Poggio di Montieri, Central Italy, a hill heavily exploited in the Middle Ages for the extraction of silver-bearing ore, and then managed until the nineteenth century with a multiple land use system based on pasture. Linking together pedological and archaeological surveys with anthracological, dendro-anthracological and chemical analyses, as well as with information from historical texts and maps, this research outlines the environmental dynamics that occurred in this area in the last few centuries. Although ore processing undoubtedly required large quantities of charcoal as fuel, no evidence of charcoal hearth remains from the Middle Ages have been found, while at least two charcoal production phases, starting from the seventeenth century, were individuated. Despite an increase in charcoal production at the end of the last phase, in the eighteenth–nineteenth centuries, no over-exploitation of the forest resources at Poggio di Montieri was documented. The lack of such an expected over-exploitation could be due to the use of wood from pruning and shredding, which allowed the sustainable management of the forest resource and was the legacy of the multiple land use systems of previous centuries.

In‐situ formation of macromolecule P/N/Si flame retardant for epoxy resin with low smoke toxicity and excellent flame‐retardancy

AbstractEpoxy resins (EP) have great chemical and physical properties, but their poor flame retardant properties have prevented their widespread use. To improve the flame retardancy properties of EP, an active P/N/Si flame retardant (KDC) containing a double bond was successfully synthesized in this work by using a typical aldehyde amine condensation reaction. This flame retardant not only can form a large molecule flame retardant in situ by double bond reaction and increase the tightness with EP matrix, but also has the advantage of P/N/Si three elements synergistic flame retardant, and at the same time play the flame retardant performance of each element, can achieve excellent flame retardant performance and low smoke and toxicity with low addition amount. Subsequently, the performance of the flame retardants was tested. When 7 wt% of KDC was added, the pHRR and TSR of the EP composites were reduced by 51.7% and 29.8%, respectively. More importantly, the addition of KDC inhibited the release of toxic fuels and smoke from EP, where the TSP values of EP/3‐KDC were 18.14% below those of neat EP and increased the residual amount of charcoal, while the inhibition of CO and CO2 release was particularly pronounced with the presence of KDC.

Automated large‐scale mapping and analysis of relict charcoal hearths in Connecticut (USA) using a Deep Learning YOLOv4 framework

AbstractIn the past decade, numerous studies have successfully mapped thousands of former charcoal production sites (also called relict charcoal hearths) manually using digital elevation model (DEM) data from various forested areas in Europe and the north‐eastern USA. The presence of these sites causes significant changes in the soil physical and chemical properties, referred to as legacy effects, due to high amounts of charcoal that remain in the soils. The overwhelming amount of charcoal hearths found in landscapes necessitates the use of automated methods to map and analyse these landforms. We present a novel approach based on open source data and software, to automatically detect relict charcoal hearths in large‐scale LiDAR datasets (visualized with Simple Local Relief Model). In addition, the approach simultaneously provides both general as well as domain‐specific information, which can be used to further study legacy effects. Different versions of the methodology were fine‐tuned on data from north‐western Connecticut and subsequently tested on two different areas in Connecticut. The results show that these perform adequate, with F1‐scores ranging between 0.21 and 0.76, although additional post‐processing was needed to deal with variations in LiDAR quality. After testing, the best performing version of the prediction model (with an average F1‐score of 0.56) was applied on the entire state of Connecticut. The results show a clear overlap with the known distribution of charcoal hearths in the state, while new concentrations were found as well. This shows the usability of the approach on large‐scale datasets, even when the terrain and LiDAR quality varies.

Charcoal Whirlwinds and Post-Fire Observations in Serengeti National Park Savannahs

Whirlwinds and visible dust devils occur over semi-arid ecosystems and entrain particles from the ground surface. Fires produce abundant charcoal across savannahs and the resulting blackened surfaces create a large albedo contrast. Whirlwinds have been observed associated with active fires; yet, there are few published observations on post-fire landscapes. Spatiotemporal patterns of whirlwinds have been documented for a limited number of regions and have not been made for the ecosystems of eastern Africa. From field-based sightings in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, we report on whirlwinds over burned savannah patches that entrained large quantities of charcoal to produce black coloured charcoal devils that lofted charcoal into the atmosphere. Two occurrences of charcoal devils were sighted and photographed, one each in the Western Corridor (Bunda District) and Lamai (Serengeti District), Mara Region. The observations were compared with regional scale meteorological data and remote sensing satellite imagery and albedo estimates of the land cover conditions. Although direct meteorological or particulate matter measurements were not made, the observations show that both charcoal devils differed in colour, funnel shape, height, and savannah land cover types (different woody to grass fuel canopies), and thus different charcoal morphologies. Charcoal laden whirlwinds require further study and characterization to analyse the contribution to local-scale redistribution of matter and regional-to-global fluxes of terrestrially derived atmospheric particulates. Future research focusing on the spatiotemporal patterns of whirlwinds over burned patches of savannah, the formation, duration and dissipation mechanisms, and characterisation of the entrained material would contribute to our understanding of the phenomena. The redistribution of organic and clastic material would contribute to understanding of detrital fluxes to depositional environments, such as lakes, wetlands, and snow.
 Keywords: Atmospheric boundary layer; Convection; Detritus; Dust devils; Fires; Particulate matter.

Middeleeuwse ijzer- en houtskoolproductie op de Veluwe

Medieval iron and charcoal production in the Veluwe region Recent research on the iron production landscape in the coppice wood of ‘t Asselt near Rheden (Southeastern Veluwe) Between the seventh and twelfth century ad large-scale iron production took place in the Veluwe region (Central Netherlands) based on the extraction of iron-rich loam concretions in the regional ice-pushed ridges. This iron production required large amounts of charcoal which were produced by the large-scale burning of semi-natural and/or coppice woods. There is palaeobotanical evidence that the woodland vegetation of the Veluwe diminished by two-thirds in this medieval period, partly because of medieval woodland reclamations, partly because of charcoal-burning. A master thesis project revealed the existence of an extensive and largely untouched iron production landscape in the coppice wood of ‘t Asselt (Southeastern Veluwe). Based on ceramics from the eighth-twelfth century, historical-geographical relics as well as written evidence this early and high medieval landscape layer seems rather complete and untouched, which makes it a very promising site for further archaeological research on medieval iron production landscapes.

Charcoalified vegetation from the Pennsylvanian of Yorkshire, England: Implications for the interpretation of Carboniferous wildfires

New data on some fossil charcoal deposits from the British Isles is integrated into previous studies to provide an indication of our current understanding of the role of fire on land in the Pennsylvanian and also provide strategies for obtaining new information in the future.The nature and occurrence of fossil charcoal (often called fusain) in sediments and coals (often described as inertinite/fusinite/semi-fusinite) is the main way that the history of Carboniferous fire has been studied. Fires have been shown to have been common in many Carboniferous ecosystems around the world, yet we still have little understanding of the details of what these fires were, where and how they occurred, or their effects upon both on the local ecosystem and the Earth System as a whole. Research has demonstrated that detailed scanning electron microscope studies of charcoal residues can provide data on the plants that have been charred by wildfires.Information on the amount of charcoal in coal globally appears to relate to atmospheric oxygen composition and this shows that throughout the Carboniferous oxygen levels were as high or higher than those of the present day, suggesting that wildfires were more frequent. Interpreting the frequency of fires in different ecosystems remains fraught with difficulty and calculations within peat (coal) systems are at an early stage. The impact of fire on vegetational change as well as the relationship between fire and climate in the Carboniferous remains little studied.A study of the inertinite (charcoal) distribution within the Low Barnsley Seam in Yorkshire, England indicates that levels remained high throughout much of the 1.8m thick coal seam. A previous palynological study of the seam has demonstrated three repeated successions of vegetational development interpreted as repeated phases of wet to dry mire development (rheotrophic swamp to ombrotrophic bog). Inertinite peaks above 20% background have indicated a minimum of 18 significant large fire events and an analysis of depositional rates suggests a fire return interval of these large fires to be 500 years or less.A study of charcoalified vegetation from fine-grained clastic sediments from Swillington Brickworks, Yorkshire recovered from bulk maceration of the sediment, that was not evident from bedding surface examination, has demonstrated that some levels contain abundant leaf charcoal, mainly from pteridosperms, in addition to wood charcoal derived from a range of gymnosperms. The charcoalified plants are interpreted as wildfire residues mainly from surface fires that have been transported and deposited on low-lying floodplains.

Adoption and fuel use efficiency of mirt stove in Dilla district, southern Ethiopia

Half of the world's population relies on biomass fuels for cooking and heating, which contributes to global forest depletion that leads to environmental and human health impacts. Although biomass consumption is unavoidable, using Mirt stoves save biomass fuel consumption and time for cooking. Currently, improved cooking stoves (ICS) are disseminating worldwide including sub-Saharan countries. However, studies on factors that influence the adoptions and fuel-saving performance of ICS were limited. This study was carried out to assess factors that determine the adoption and fuel use efficiency of Mirt stoves in Dilla district, Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected using questionnaires from 384 households. To test fuel use efficiencies a triplicate controlled cooking test (CCT) was made. The data gathered from questionnaires and CCT were analyzed using binary logistic regression and t -test statistical tools, respectively. The regression results revealed that marital status, household income and availability of stoves were significantly ( P < 0.05) affecting the adoption of Mirt stoves. Distance, culture, and fixed nature of the stoves showed negative significant effect ( P < 0.01) on adoption. The CCT result showed Mirt stoves save 31% fuelwood consumption over traditional open fire stoves. However, the statistical t - test showed insignificant ( P > 0.05) difference in the length of time to bake a given amount of Injera and the amount of charcoal extracted. Our result suggested that improve cooking stoves like Mirt stove could ease the burden fuelwood collection of rural households and the efforts made to improve the adoption of Mirt stove could be successful when ICS dissemination programs consider socio-economic and market-related factors into account.

Optimisation of Charcoal and Sago (Metroxylon sagu) Bark Ash to Improve Phosphorus Availability in Acidic Soils

Soil acidity is an important soil factor affecting crop growth and development. This ultimately limits crop productivity and the profitability of farmers. Soil acidity increases the toxicity of Al, Fe, H, and Mn. The abundance of Al and Fe ions in weathered soils has been implicated in P fixation. To date, limited research has attempted to unravel the use of charcoal with the incorporation of sago (Metroxylon sagu) bark ash to reduce P fixation. Therefore, an incubation study was conducted in the Soil Science Laboratory of Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Malaysia for 90 days to determine the optimum amounts of charcoal and sago bark ash that could be used to improve the P availability of a mineral acidic soil. Charcoal and sago bark ash rates varied by 25%, whereas Egypt rock phosphate (ERP) rate was fixed at 100% of the recommendation rate. Soil available P was determined using the Mehlich 1 method, soil total P was extracted using the aqua regia method, and inorganic P was fractionated using the sequential extraction method based on its relative solubility. Other selected soil chemical properties were determined using standard procedures. The results reveal that co-application of charcoal, regardless of rate, substantially increased soil total carbon. In addition, application of 75% sago bark ash increased soil pH and at the same time, it reduced exchangeable acidity, Al3+, and Fe2+. Additionally, amending acidic soils with both charcoal and sago bark ash positively enhanced the availability of K, Ca, Mg, and Na. Although there was no significant improvement in soil Mehlich-P with or without charcoal and sago bark ash, the application of these amendments altered inorganic P fractions in the soil. Calcium-bound phosphorus was more pronounced compared with Al-P and Fe-P for the soil with ERP, charcoal, and sago bark ash. The findings of this study suggest that as soil pH decreases, P fixation by Al and Fe can be minimised using charcoal and sago bark ash. This is because of the alkalinity of sago bark ash and the high affinity of charcoal for Al and Fe ions to impede Al and Fe hydrolysis to produce more H+. Thus, the optimum rates of charcoal and sago bark ash to increase P availability are 75% sago bark ash with 75%, 50%, and 25% charcoal because these rates significantly reduced soil exchangeable acidity, Al3+, and Fe2+.

Mesolithic Pyrotechnology: Practices and Perceptions in Early Holocene Coastal Norway

Substantial pyrotechnological structures and large quantities of charcoal are rarely found on Early Holocene sites in coastal Norway. Nevertheless, information on the use of fire and fuel types is available and presented in this article, a survey of sites dating from 10,000 to 8000 uncalbp.Possible fuel types and preferences are discussed and it is argued that most fires would have been small and short-lived, making extensive use of low vegetation. This suggests that food must have been largely consumed raw, fermented, or dried. The distinction between the use of shrubs and trees must have had implications for the perception of their properties, which appear to have persisted even after the emergence of more forested landscapes.

Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Charcoal Production Activities of Rural Households in Mecha District, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the largest charcoal-producing countries in Africa where its urban consumers burn over 3 million tons per year. The purpose of this study was to measure the amount of charcoal produced and its related environmental and socioeconomic impact in the study area. A total of 305 respondents were selected by using a simple random sampling technique. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions from charcoal production was analyzed based on the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change quantification techniques, and the impact of charcoal production on households’ income was analyzed using propensity score matching. The results revealed that the annual charcoal production rate and emission of carbon dioxide equivalent have an increasing trend at an alarming rate in the study area. From propensity score matching analysis, the economic impact of charcoal production has a positive difference of 0.43813162 as compared to nonproducers. Socioeconomic factors like land size, eucalyptus coverage, agricultural extension, market distance, and the number of oxen have a highly significant effect but variables like sex, family size, education status, credit services, and marital status had no significant effect on charcoal production. In general, even though charcoal production is economically having a positive impact on households’ annual aggregate income; it has disproportionality adverse effect on the environment like air pollution in addition to sophisticated respiratory health problems. Therefore, responsible institutions and planners should have focused on the multidimensional effect of traditional charcoal production on environmental issues and sophisticated health problems especially on employed laborers and nearby residents.

Late Holocene environmental change and anthropogenic: Ecosystem interaction on the Laikipia Plateau, Kenya

East African ecosystems have been shaped by long-term socio-ecological–environmental interactions. Although much previous work on human–environment interrelationships have emphasised the negative impacts of human interventions, a growing body of work shows that there have also often been strong beneficial connections between people and ecosystems, especially in savanna environments. However, limited information and understanding of past interactions between humans and ecosystems of periods longer than a century hampers effective management of contemporary environments. Here, we present a late Holocene study of pollen, fern spore, fungal spore, and charcoal analyses from radiocarbon-dated sediment sequences and assess this record against archaeological and historical data to describe socio-ecological changes on the Laikipia Plateau in Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The results suggest a landscape characterised by closed forests between 2268 years before present (cal year BP) and 1615 cal year BP when there was a significant change to a more open woodland/grassland mosaic that continues to prevail across the study area. Increased amounts of charcoal in the sediment are observed for this same period, becoming particularly common from around 900 cal year BP associated with fungal spores commonly linked to the presence of herbivores. It is likely these trends reflect changes in land use management as pastoral populations improved and extended pasture, using fire to eradicate disease-prone habitats. Implications for contemporary land use management are discussed in the light of these findings.