DESEMPENHO DOS ÍNDICES DE NESTEROV E FÓRMULA DE MONTE ALEGRE NO DISTRITO DE LICHINGA, NORTE DE MOÇAMBIQUE

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the performance of Nesterov indexes and of Monte Alegre formula (FMA) in Lichinga environment (northern Mozambique) in order to suggest the best index to be used in this region. To do so, we used daily meteorological data (temperature, precipitation and relative humidity) and registration data of forest fire occurrences in a period of three years (2010 - 2012). Meteorological data were provided by the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique in Lichinga (IIAM-Lichinga), whereas the data base of fire occurrence record was provided by the Center for Monitoring and Control of Forest Fires (CCMIF) of the company Chikweti Forest of Niassa. Then, fire danger indexes and the degree of daily danger were calculated for both indexes, where it was observed the predominance of very high degree of danger in almost every year, with a percentage of 52.65% for the FMA and 37.96% for Nesterov index. Along with values of Skill Score (SS) of 0.11 Percent Success (PS) of 44.82%, Nesterov index showed best performance for this region unlike FMA, that presented a weak performance with values of 0, 07 of SS and 35.62%of PS.Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com objetivo de avaliar o desempenho dos índices de Nesterov e Fórmula de Monte Alegre (FMA) no ambiente Lichinga (norte de Moçambique), de modo a sugerir o melhor índice a ser usado nesta região. Para a materialização desta pesquisa, foram usados dados meteorológicos diários (temperatura, precipitação e umidade relativa) e dados de registro de ocorrências dos incêndios florestais de um período de três anos (2010 a 2012). Os dados meteorológicos foram fornecidos pelo Instituto de Investigação Agronômica de Moçambique em Lichinga (IIAM-Lichinga) e o banco de dados de registro de ocorrências de incêndios foi providenciado pelo Centro de Controle e Monitoramento de Incêndios Florestais (CCMIF), da empresa Chikweti Forest of Niassa. Na sequência, foram calculados os índices de perigo de incêndios e o grau de perigo diário para os dois índices, tendo-se observado a predominância do grau de perigo muito alto em quase todos os anos, com um porcentual de 52,65% para o FMA e 37,96% para o índice Nesterov. Com valores de Skill Score (SS) de 0,11 e Porcentagem de Sucesso (PS) de 44,82%, o índice Nesterov mostrou melhor desempenho para o ambiente de Lichinga, ao contrário do FMA que apresentou um fraco desempenho com os valores de 0,07 de SS e 35,62% de PS

The impact of subsistence use of forest products and the dynamics of harvested woody species populations in a protected forest reserve in Western Zimbabwe

Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007.Developing sustainable mechanisms for use-management of forest products by user communities has been suggested as a possible solution to the often-observed conflict between forest use and the conservation of protected forests. In Zimbabwe, the use of forest products in protected forests by local communities has a long history, but few studies have explored both the socio-economic and ecological aspects of this use. This study was conducted in the Baikiaea plurijuga forests and woodlands in and around Fuller Forest in western Zimbabwe, protected since 1943. It explored the characteristics and dynamics of forest products use by communities surrounding this protected forest. Further, the demography and dynamics of commonly harvested woody species was examined in order to establish the present status of populations of these species. This examination, focusing on diameter class distributions, was aimed at informing whether species populations were expanding, stable or declining in view of their capacity to continue providing required goods and services. Results indicated that all households, rich and poor, were harvesting at least some forest resources from the protected forest, with the most frequently harvested resources being firewood, wood for curios, thatch grass, wild fruits, timber for construction and fencing and those who owned livestock used the forest for livestock grazing. The extraction and use of 23 different products was recorded across the villages. The top five harvested forest products in terms of the mean proportion of households using them were fuelwood, building poles, thatch grass, wild fruits and broom grass. Forest products were harvested both for own consumption and for sale. At present Baikiaea plurijuga, Colophospermum mopane, Brachystegia spiciformis, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon, Commiphora mocambicensis and Bauhinia petersiana out of 14 commonly harvested species appear to have relatively stable populations as indicated by their inverse J-shaped diameter class distribution profiles. Preliminary indications from this baseline information point towards the successful integration of local use of forest products and conservation objectives noting that there is need for caution until further studies as recommended in this study are taken