Village Land Forest Reserve Research Articles

Community-managed forests can secure forest regrowth and permanence in human-modified landscapes

Deforestation can impair ecosystem functions, reduce biodiversity, and accelerate climate change. One strategy proposed to decrease deforestation and promote recovery of degraded areas involves community management of forests: entrusting local communities to manage forest reserves. However, the effectiveness of this strategy remains poorly understood. Here, we assess the impact of community forest management in the Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs) of the Greater Gombe Ecosystem (GGE), Tanzania, using Landsat satellite images from multiple dates (2006, 2013, and 2021) to assess the extent to which 16 VLFRs promoted forest regrowth and permanence. We detected a 66 % forest cover increase in VLFRs but a 22 % decrease in identified areas not under any form of protection (unprotected area) in the village land. The Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) statistical analysis showed that assigning an area as a VLFR was associated with a 24.3 % forest-cover gain compared to unprotected village land (β = 0.243, SE = 0.0761, P<0.001). Patrolling by local community members, following village regulations, has a positive impact (β=0.04, 95% CI: [0.02, 0.06]) on promoting forest cover persistence. Nonetheless, of land reforested between 2006 and 2013 in the VLFRs, 11 % suffered re-clearing by 2021. Ensuring further forest regeneration and persistence of these reserves thus requires additional measures.

Woody Plant Assemblages of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve in The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot

Understanding of species composition of village land forest reserves and their driving factors informs adequate development of effective restoration strategies and sustainable forest management of miombo woodlands. This study assessed the effects of human disturbance as well as environmental variables on woody plant species composition using 24 square plots of 10 x 10 m in a recently declared village land forest reserve in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania. Ordination analysis technique canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify important vegetation gradients and significant factors that explain the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. Results showed that, 779 individual woody plants were recorded, of which 379 were seedlings (48.6%), 102 saplings (13.1%) and 298 adults (38.3%). The three most dominant plant species were Brachystegia spiciformis (42.2%), Diplorhynchus condylocarpon (9%) and B. boehmii (8.7%), while the least were Multidentia crassa and Diospyros squarrosa with each species having less than 1% overall abundance. Pterocarpus angolensis, a highly protected and near-threatened tree species, was also recorded but with only very few individuals. Canopy cover and soil pH were the two most important variables explaining the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. These results emphasise that village forests are important for preserving native and threatened tree species, and improved management should discourage all practices that change natural conditions of canopy cover and soil pH to safeguard the remaining village forests, biodiversity and rural livelihoods.

Structure, regeneration and carbon stocks of woody plants in the Litwang’ata village land forest reserve, Southwest Tanzania

Abstract The plant biodiversity status of many village land forest reserves is little known to support meaningful implementation of sustainable forest management objectives in Tanzania. This study was conducted to assess the status of Litwang’ata village land forest reserve in Ludewa district, Southwest Tanzania through 20 square sample plots of 10 × 10 m. A total of 20 woody plant species belonging to 12 families and 19 genera with DBH ≥ 5 cm were identified in the study forest. The most important species with their importance value index were Brachystegia spiciformis (78.02), Brachystegia boehmii (22.05), Faurea saligna (15.18), Uapaca kirkiana (14), Acacia amythethophylla (13.07), Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia (12.76) and Gardenia ternifolia (10.36). The forest had a Shannon diversity index (H´) of 2.27, indicating medium diversity. Stand structure comprised 1,330 ± 523 stems ha–1, basal area of 18.97 ± 6.81 m2 ha–1 and stand volume of 142.36 ± 52.17 m3 ha–1. The mean above- and belowground carbon stocks were 46.97 ± 17.23 Mg ha–1 and 23.90 ± 8.58 Mg ha–1 respectively. The higher tree densities, basal area, stand volume and carbon stocks recorded in this study compared to other Miombo woodlands indicate that Litwang’ata forest is still in good condition, and managment efforts should be strengthened to bolster biodiversity conservation for present and future generations.

The Contribution of Village Land Forest Reserves in Livelihood Improvement: The Case of Songea and Liwale Districts in Tanzania

Village land forest reserves (VLFRs) are recognized as an important base for rural community development. This study used timber and honey production activities to assess the actual contribution of three Village land forest reserves of Lupagalo VLFR from Songea District in Ruvuma Region, and Liboya and Luhangino VLFRs from Liwale District in Lindi Region on livelihood improvement rural communities living adjacent to these forests. This study assessed livelihood improvement based on financial, human, physical, and social assets. Data were collected using household structured interviews and focused group discussions. A total of 71 timber dealers (38 in Songea and 33 in Liwale District) and 37 honey dealers (23 in Songea and 14 in Liwale District) were interviewed in this study. Inferential statistics and Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to report the results of this study. Results show that there is gain in livelihood assets due to timber and honey production. In addition, findings reveal that, physical capital indicators including better education, better health care, and food security had significant influence on livelihood of timber and honey dealer as the p-value (p<0.05). In financial capital, savings had a significant influence on the livelihood of honey and timber dealers. Also, training as an indicator of human capital had a significant contribution on the livelihood of honey and timber dealers. Further, based on social capital, membership status had a significant influence on livelihood contribution p<0.05. Since this study considered only two products, other forest products such as firewood, charcoal, and medicinal plants should be assessed.

Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure, and carbon storage of Lolkisale Village Land Forest Reserve in the Northeastern part of Tanzania

Abstract. Mwakalukwa EE, Mwakisu A, Madundo S, Maliondo SMS. 2023. Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure, and carbon storage of Lolkisale Village Land Forest Reserve in the Northeastern part of Tanzania. Nusantara Bioscience 15: 79-90. Little is known about the effects of human activities on the condition of the Lolkisale Village land Forest reserve located in Monduli District, Arusha region, in the northeastern part of Tanzania. This study assessed the status of woody species diversity, composition, structure, and available potential of the forest on carbon storage. The vegetation data were collected from 33 concentric sample plots of 5 m, 15 m, and 20 m radius laid systematically across the forest area of 960 ha. A total of 58 plant species belonging to 30 families were identified. Diversity indices have indicated a high woody species diversity in the forest reserve. The most important species were Commiphora schimperi (O.Berg) Engl., Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch., Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne, and Combretum molle R.Br. ex G. Don. Stand structure comprises 190 ± 117 stems ha-1, basal area of 7.68 ± 5.17m2ha-1 and standing volume of 64.04 ± 45.85 m3ha-1, while the mean above-ground carbon stocks and the mean below-ground carbon stocks were 19.55 ± 13.38 Mg C ha-1 and 3.91 ± 2.68 Mg C ha-1 respectively. Generally, the reserve was found to be in good condition. The observed high diversity of woody species signifies the importance of legally protecting this area as a village land forest reserve. In addition, quantifying other carbon pools, such as soil, dead wood, and surface litter, should be considered for estimating this forest's total carbon stock potential. In this regard, measures to control the use of the forest as a grazing area would be useful to allow new regrowth and young trees to attain maturity stages without being interfered with by the livestock.

Land cover change and utilization of village land forest reserves in Ludewa, Tanzania

Knowledge of land cover change and associated driving factors is important for developing improved management strategies and future monitoring of tropical forests. We present here for the first time the case of two forest reserves (Litwang'ata and Intake) in Ludewa district, Southern Highlands Tanzania. These reserves were recently (2019) declared Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs), with their management and ownership devolved to their communities. We used remote sensing and GIS methods to assess spatial-temporal land cover change of the two VLFRs for the period 1996–2016. We also used household interviews (HHIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informants’ interviews (KIIs) to examine the perceived socio-economic drivers of land cover change and the household forest-based incomes derived from the VLFRs. Our findings overall showed that closed woodland decreased by 780.3 ha whereas open woodland, grass/shrub land and agricultural land increased by 700.9 ha, 71.7 ha and 50.9 ha, respectively. Wildfires are perceived as the major drivers of land cover change. To a large extent, local communities utilize VLFRs for their livelihoods, with major resources extracted being firewood, construction poles, fresh water and thatch grass. Of the total forest-based income, logging for timber accounted for about 33% for Intake VLFR users and 36% for villagers who utilize resources from Litwang'ata VLFR. Future monitoring of land cover and livelihood changes is recommended for sustainable forest management.

The size of clearings for charcoal production in miombo woodlands affects soil hydrological properties and soil organic carbon

Charcoal production is a major driver of forest degradation in miombo woodlands. Forests play a crucial role in regulating the hydrological cycle, so it is critical to understand how forest degradation and management practices impact water availability, particularly in drylands. Few studies have examined the effect of forest clearing size on the hydrological functioning of soil, particularly under real-world conditions where, following clearing, forests are subject to multiple and prolonged anthropogenic disturbances, as occurs in miombo woodlands which are cleared for charcoal production and commonly used for livestock grazing. The pilot project Transforming Tanzania's Charcoal Sector was established in 2012 with the aim of establishing a sustainable wood harvesting system for charcoal production based on rotational harvesting cycles that allow for natural forest regeneration. Two clearing sizes were established: large clearings (300 × 300 m) harvested by clear-felling, and small clearings (50 × 50 m) harvested in a checkerboard pattern. We examined the effect of these two clearing sizes on soil hydrological properties and soil organic carbon (SOC) in Kilosa district, Morogoro, Tanzania. Our analysis included four treatments: large clearings, small clearings, small intact plots (unharvested plots within the checkboard pattern), and village land forest reserve. For each treatment we assessed the tree cover and measured soil infiltration capacity, soil bulk density, SOC stock, and texture. We also examined the relationship between these variables and the distance to the closest road to better understand the impact of livestock and human disturbance. Our results show that large clearings had the lowest mean infiltration capacity (121 ± 3 mm h−1) and SOC stock content (12 ± 0.2 tonnes ha−1), and the highest bulk density (1.6 ± 0.005 g cm−3) of all the treatments. We found a positive relationship between infiltration capacity and basal area (R2 = 0.71) across all treatments. We also found that infiltration capacity, SOC stock and tree basal area increased with increasing distance from the closest road, while bulk density decreased. We conclude that, in terms of their impact on soil hydrological functioning and SOC stock, small clearings, while not completely unaffected, are better than larger ones. In small clearings, concurrent reductions in tree cover and a relatively low impact on soil hydrological properties could result in increased soil and groundwater recharge compared to unharvested forest areas. Controlling livestock grazing can further minimize soil degradation, producing additional gains.

Nexus of village land use planning, village land forest reserve and REDD+ in Tanzania: a synthesis of concepts

Nexus of village land use planning, village land forest reserve and REDD+ in Tanzania: a synthesis of concepts

Understanding community awareness, knowledge and perceived importance of Land-Use Plans and Village Land Forest Reserves in the context of REDD+ in Tanzania

Knowing the community level of awareness and knowledge of village participatory land use plans (VPLUPs) and village land forest reserves (VLFRs) and their perceived importance thereof, can form a way of improving the plans and forests governance in the context of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), a global initiative to climate change measure. Thus, this study assessed community awareness, knowledge and perceived importance of VPLUPs and VLFRs in a REDD+ initiative in Tanzania. A mixed-method research design was adopted to collect data through participatory-community mapping (4 cases), focus group discussions (12 cases), key informant interviews (12 cases), direct observation and household interviews (328 cases). Results revealed that respondents were significantly aware of VPLUPs and VLFRs and were well-informed about VLFRs. However, they were ill-informed about the specified procedures of conducting VPLUPs. The community attached high value to VPLUPs and VLFRs. The residence period and household size of respondents emerged as the most important factors that significantly drive community awareness of VPLUPs and VLFRs respectively. The study recommends the use of the strategy (participatory approach) employed by the project proponents to implement VPLUPs and VLFRs.

Creating property out of insecurity: territorialization and legitimation of REDD+ in Lindi, Tanzania

The international REDD+ programme to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation emphasises financial incentives, property rights in forest carbon and control over forest land to attain market-based conservation goals in the Global South. REDD+ territorialization attempts are shaped by carbon markets and by their embeddedness in institutional and legal contexts, where different actors struggle to establish authority, legitimacy and claims to land and forests. In Tanzania, the market-oriented pathways of REDD+ projects have been integrated into land use planning, land titling and the creation of village land forest reserves. Through a case study of a pilot project in Lindi, Tanzania, this article analyses how particular kinds of property rights and territorial control are contested and legitimated through market-based and human rights-based discourses invoked by project actors, government officers and village communities in REDD+ projects. These processes bring together different rationalities and practices of territorialization over property rights in carbon, forests and land. The case study illustrates the role that property languages play in legitimating and persuading different audiences, as REDD+ projects reconfigure property rights over forest land, fuelling land conflicts and heightening insecurity.

Research and conservation in the greater Gombe ecosystem: challenges and opportunities

The study of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, started by Jane Goodall in 1960, provided pioneering accounts of chimpanzee behavior and ecology. With funding from multiple sources, including the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and grants from private foundations and federal programs, the project has continued for sixty years, providing a wealth of information about our evolutionary cousins. These chimpanzees face two main challenges to their survival: infectious disease — including simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz), which can cause Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in chimpanzees — and the deforestation of land outside the park. A health monitoring program has increased understanding of the pathogens affecting chimpanzees and has promoted measures to characterize and reduce disease risk. Deforestation reduces connections between Gombe and other chimpanzee populations, which can cause loss of genetic diversity. To promote habitat restoration, JGI facilitated participatory village land use planning, in which communities voluntarily allocated land to a network of Village Land Forest Reserves. Expected benefits to people include stabilizing watersheds, improving water supplies, and ensuring a supply of forest resources. Surveys and genetic analyses confirm that chimpanzees persist on village lands and remain connected to the Gombe population. Many challenges remain, but the regeneration of natural forest on previously degraded lands provides hope that conservation solutions can be found that benefit both people and wildlife. Conservation work in the Greater Gombe Ecosystem has helped promote broader efforts to plan and work for conservation elsewhere in Tanzania and across Africa.

Women's marginalization in participatory forest management: Impacts of responsibilization in Tanzania

This paper analyses the consequences of responsibilization for women in natural resource management in Southern Tanzania. Participatory forest management (PFM) and Participatory Land Use Planning in Southern Tanzania provide a case study to interrogate how responsibilization impacts on the existing social order in a given community. As the study findings show, participatory initiatives have not fully reached rural women who are still under-represented and insufficiently equipped to participate in public decision-making, which maintains women's marginalization.In Tanzania there has been progress in community rights for forest management. Following the Forest Policy (1998) and Forest Act (2002), Tanzanian villages can establish Village Land Forest Reserves and manage and utilize natural resources for the benefit of the community. The success of decentralized forest governance depends on the interplay between power, authority and social relations. This is determined by the capacity of communities to participate and by the government's responsiveness to the people's voice.Based on our case study, women do not have equal opportunities to raise their voice like men, and women are marginalized in the decisions made about forest management and in the distribution of benefits from the natural resources with which their communities are endowed. This has policy implications in the sense that processes and structures of decentralized forest governance seem unable to address the needs of women.

Does Tanzanian participatory forest management policy achieve its governance objectives?

Before the 1980s, centralized forest policies in many African countries excluded local communities, while forest resources were frequently degraded. In response, Participatory Forest Management (PFM) was introduced to devolve management and improve livelihoods, forest condition and governance. Building on existing analyses that highlight the limited successes of PFM, this study focuses on the equitability and efficacy of PFM governance in Tanzania. Previous work notes several shortcomings of PFM, often stressing the issue of elite capture - our paper explores this issue in further detail by applying a mixed methods approach. Specifically, by using individual rather than household level surveys we can better assess the extent of marginalization and whether wealth and gender are determining factors. We assess whether PFM has achieved devolution by comparing observed outcomes to stated policy objectives and the decentralization framework developed by Agrawal and Ribot (1999). We surveyed 227 individuals, in two case study villages adjacent to SULEDO Village Land Forest Reserve (Kiteto District), conducted six focus group discussions and 10 key informant interviews to answer these research questions: (a) To what extent are management institutions representative and inclusive of the local community? (b) To what extent are local communities empowered to influence decision-making and access benefits? (c) To what extent is the local forest management institution accountable to local communities relative to superior authorities under PFM? In the case study villages, PFM is characterised by a low rate of resident and Village Environmental Committee member engagement in committee elections, formal village assemblies, PFM training, formulation and first-approval of by-laws. Low levels of satisfaction were also found with the mechanisms of benefit sharing and the level of accountability of management institution leaders. We found that SULEDO has become dominated by a very restricted “elite within an elite”, comprising only zonal leaders and close associates. Overall, we found a significant gap between observed outcomes and PFM policy objectives, and therefore a failure to fully achieve meaningful devolution.

Prospects and Challenges of Village Land Forest Reserves Management in Mbarali District, Tanzania

Prospects and challenges of Village Lands Forest Reserves (VLFRs) in Mbarali district, southern Tanzania were investigated. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys, in-depth key informant interviews, physical field visits and documentary reviews. A total of 44 subjects were involved in the study. SPSS, Microsoft Excel and content analysis were used in data analysis. Findings indicated that inadequate capacity building, passive community participation and involvement in VLFRs management fostered the continued forest degradation and deforestation in the study area. It was further observed that on average 2.04 ha of forest was being lost every year through anthropogenic activities, mainly farm expansion, charcoal business and firewood. In order to achieve VLFRs sustainability, the study recommends improvement of relationship and coordination among VLFRs key stakeholders, participatory preparation of forest management plans, enforcement of community forest management bylaws, and use of energy saving stoves to reduce overdependence on forests as source of energy.

Forest management and conservation before and after the introduction of village participatory land use plans in the Kilosa district REDD+ initiative, Tanzania

ABSTRACTThe use of Village Participatory Land Use Plan (VPLUP) model as a natural resource management and conservation tool has been growing recently. This study examined the premise under which VPLUPs implementation can enhance the management and conservation of Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs) in the context of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus (REDD+) initiative in the Kilosa district of Tanzania. A mixed method research design, which integrates participatory community mapping (PCM), focus group discussions (FGDs), key informants interviews (KIIs), direct observations, and household interviews were used in data collection. The results showed that there were significant (p < 0.05) improvements in forest management and conservation indicators after VPLUPs implementation, and increase in the management and conservation activities carried out by the community after the implementation of VPLUPs. There was also a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in almost all uses of the forest after the implementation of VPLUPs. The findings provide evidence that the VPLUP model has potential for enhancing the management and conservation of forests in the context of REDD+ strategy. Thus, it is argued that VPLUP can be used as a forest management and conservation tool to facilitate the implementation of the REDD+ initiatives.

The role of Village Land Forest Reserves in the implementation of Land Use Plans: experience from the REDD+ initiative, Tanzania

The role of Village Participatory Land Use Plans (VPLUPs) and associated Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs) under the REDD initiative is a fairly new concept with limited information on the success of its implementation. This study examined community perceptions of VPLUPs as well as their perceptions of the inclusion of VLFRs in these plans in the Kilosa district of Tanzania. A mixed method research design, which integrates participatory community mapping (PCM), focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), direct observations and household interviews were applied. Results indicated a significant involvement of the respondents (84%) in the process of implementation of VPLUPs, especially in meetings (95%). A significant majority (91%) favoured the inclusion of VLFRs in VPLUPs. Most of the respondents (85%) were satisfied with the implementation process of VPLUPs and most (94%) were willing to adhere to VPLUPs initiatives. Both challenges to and supportive factors for the implementation of VPLUPs were identified by the respondents. Due to the current high levels of participation in the initiative and potentially agreeable outcomes, it is concluded that VPLUPs and VLFRs might contribute to sustainable implementation of the REDD initiative.

Impact of traditional beekeeping on Mgori Village Land Forest Reserve in Singida District, Tanzania

A study was conducted in villages around Mgori Village Land Forest Reserve (VLFR), Singida District in Tanzania to assess the impact of traditional beekeeping on the condition of forest resources. Data collection involved participatory rural appraisal, questionnaire survey and forest inventory. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Ms Excel. The Shannon-Wiener index was used to analyse evenness in species diversity. Results indicated that the majority of households practice traditional beekeeping using log hives. There is no proper management system of traditional beekeeping apart from regular forest patrols. The majority (82%) of respondents viewed traditional beekeeping as an effective way of managing forest resources as it helps to protect the forest against destruction and results in increased plant productivity through pollination. Results further showed that although not statistically significant (p>0.05), sites where beekeeping was practiced had more stems per hectare (ha) for dbh ≤10 cm compared to sites where there was no beekeeping implying high regeneration of species due to minimal disturbances in beekeeping sites. Forest destruction, decreasing bee forages and drought were identified to be the main threats to traditional beekeeping. If well implemented, traditional beekeeping can be a tool for sustainable forest management. The need to promote best beekeeping practices which contribute to sustainable forest management in the area and beyond is recommended.

Rethinking ‘expert’ knowledge in community forest management in Tanzania

From the 1980s great hopes have been placed on community forest management to promote socio-economic development along with forest protection. Empirical research has shown, however, that while community forest management has often improved forest conditions, the goals of poverty alleviation and local empowerment have not been fully attained. The wide gap between theory and practice of community forest management has caused scholars to emphasise the role of power and politics in the design, practice and outcome of decentralisation. More recently, the roles of techno-bureaucratic values, practices and the authority given to ‘expert’ knowledge have been highlighted as important factors impeding its successful implementation. Building on these insights, this paper, conjoined with other contributions to this special issue, aims to examine the role of professionalisation and ‘expert’ knowledge in community-based forest management in Tanzania, particularly with regard to its economic development and local empowerment benefits. Drawing on long-term research in the Angai village land forest reserve in Liwale, Lindi Region, Tanzania, this paper illustrates how almost 20years after the inception of community-based forest management, villagers are still waiting for the promised political and economic benefits to materialise. We argue that professionalisation and the privileged role of ‘expert’ knowledge hampered forest decentralisation. Based on our findings, we join other authors of this special issue in calling for less technically and bureaucratically demanding ways of forest management and planning to allow local communities to fully take over ownership and control of forest resources and to relieve state and non-state actors of cumbersome and overburdening development requirements.

Floristic Composition, Structure, and Species Associations of Dry Miombo Woodland in Tanzania

For the majority of forest reserves in Tanzania, biodiversity is poorly documented. This study was conducted to assess species richness (woody species), diversity, and forest structure and to examine relationships between species occurrence and topographic and edaphic factors in the Gangalamtumba Village Land Forest Reserve, a dry Miombo woodland area in Tanzania. A total of 35 nested circular plots with radii of 5, 15, and 20 m were used to collect data on woody species and soil samples across the 6,065 ha community-managed forest reserve. Stumps were measured 20 cm above ground. A total of 88 species belonging to 29 families were identified. Generally forest structure parameters and diversity indices indicated the forest to be in a good condition and have high species richness and diversity. Vegetation analysis revealed four communities of which two were dominated by the family Caesalpiniaceae, indicating large variation of site conditions and possible disturbances in the study area. The high level of diversity of woody species and the high basal area and volume indicate that the forest is in good condition, but the effect of anthropogenic activities is evident and stresses the need for proper management to maintain or enhance the present species diversity.

Influence of forest land tenure regimes on forest condition in Uluguru mountains, Tanzania

The paper scrutinizes the current wave of forest land tenure reforms since the inception of the new forest policy in 1998. It explores which type of forestland tenure regime had more positive influence on forest condition in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. The assessment was done with reference to vegetation types of montane and miombo woodlands. The study showed that for the montane vegetation, state regime (Uluguru Nature Reserve) had higher stocking (volume 1,233m3/ha; basal area 78m2/ha; density 777 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.48) compared to communal regime (Chief Kingalu Sacred Forest) which had low stocking(volume 798m3/ha; basal area 49m2/ha; density 1,020 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.21). For the miombo vegetation, corporate/private regime (Tangeni Roman Catholic Church Forest Reserve) had higher stocking (volume 122m3/ha; basal area 27m2/ha and density 2,573 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 2.60) compared to communal regime (Misumba Village Land Forest Reserve) which had low stocking (volume 23m3/ha; basal area 10.8m2/ha and density 4,200 stems/ha) and tree species diversity (H’ 3.53). The study concludes that state regime represented by Uluguru Nature Reserve showed improved forest condition compared to communal tenure regime (Chief Kingalu Sacred Forest) for the montane vegetation type while private regime (Tangeni Roman Catholic Church Forest Reserve) was more effective in conservation than communal regime (Misumba Village Land Forest Reserve). The study recommends that sustainable management of forests could not be addressed by tenure reforms in the forestry sector alone, but requires 'cross-sectoral', 'inter-disciplinary' and 'participatory' approach along with secure tenure. Moreover, it is essential that an in-depth forest inventory is conducted at predetermined intervals to quantify stocking of tree, shrub species and forest disturbances to understand the level of resource extraction for each tenure regime. Key words : Tenure regimes, reforms, forest condition, Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania.