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Background
Traditional Land Use
Traditionally the major land use involving active management was slash and burn within the N'hambita Regulado. This is still widely used in many areas as part of a shifting cultivation system. Typically vegetation is mostly removed (trees are felled and the timber used as fuelwood) and the area is burned before it is used for farming for a maximum of 3 years. By this time the nutrients in the soil which resulted from the burned material are exhausted, and the farmer would move to another area. Farm areas in Mozambique are known as Machambas.
Remnants of slash and burn |
A miombo forest recovering from slash and burn farming |
Existing slash and burn plots are used for the project reforestation. One method is agroforestry, a mixture of acriculture and forestrey which is often seen as a sustainable approach to farming. Agroforestry means that the land can be cultivated on a permanent basis, and therefore farmers can settle. Better quality housing can be built and it becomes easier for the family to become part of the community, and can more easily access the benefits which come from being involved in society such as education and healthcare.
Cleared forest |
Planted mashamba |
Slash and burn is still used by farmers outside the project area but within the buffer zone for the National Park. Research is currently being undertaken to monitor the spread of deforested areas using remote sensing.
Cutting into the forest