Search Results (80)

Wildfires threaten natural ecosystems and human livelihoods in the Tanzanian Miombo woodlands. This study presents the first locally calibrated, high-resolution wildfire susceptibility map for the Iringa region, developed using a robust machine learning framework. Multi-decadal remote sensing data (MODIS fire occurrences, 2001–2024) were integrated with climatic, topographic, vegetation, and anthropogenic variables to train four classifiers: Random Forest, XGBoost, support vector machine with RBF kernel, and Logistic Regression. A balanced dataset of 9096 fire points and an equal number of randomly sampled non-fire points was used. The data were split into 70% for training and 30% for testing. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy, area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, and F1-score. Random Forest achieved the highest overall performance (AUC = 0.845, accuracy = 0.759, precision = 0.789 and F1 = 0.771), followed by XGBoost (AUC = 0.828, accuracy = 0.736, precision = 0.700 and F1 = 0.757), SVM (AUC = 0.755, accuracy = 0.679, precision = 0.648 and F1 = 0.709), and Logistic Regression (AUC = 0.740, accuracy = 0.661, precision = 0.631 and F1 = 0.696). Feature importance analysis identified altitude as the most influential variable, followed by wind speed, distance to road, and NDVI. Kernel Density Estimation revealed spatially distinct fire clusters concentrated in central and southern hotspots. Temporal analysis showed that 94% of fires occur during the dry season (June–November), peaking sharply in October. These findings provide an evidence-based framework for fire prevention and sustainable management of Iringa’s Miombo woodlands. Full article

Land-use/cover change threatens the ecological integrity of the Miombo region of south-central Africa. In Angola, Miombo ecosystems are of high ecological and socio-economic importance, providing rural populations with woody and non-timber forest products. Fire plays an important role in regional agricultural and silvicultural land-use systems. This study contextualised Copernicus land-cover classes at the regional level to analyse LULC transition pathways and their association with fire occurrence in Central Angola. LULC change was assessed using a post-classification comparison approach combined with pixel-based trajectory analysis. Fire activity was analysed using MODIS-derived ignition points, burned-area data, and a hexagonal-grid aggregation approach. At the same time, spatial clustering was assessed using hot spot analysis based on the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. Differences in mean fire size among LULC transition classes were tested using the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post hoc test. The results indicate a gradual reduction in forest cover and conversion to Cultivated Land, associated with the expansion of agricultural frontiers and urban areas. Fire activity was highest in areas affected by LULC conversion, with seasonal patterns varying notably among classes. Mean fire size differed by more than two orders of magnitude among transition types. Overall, fire activity was strongly associated with areas undergoing land-cover transition, highlighting the need to integrate fire management into sustainable land-use policies for long-term Miombo conservation. Full article

Forests of Lualaba Province (DR Congo) form a compositionally complex mosaic of dry dense forest, gallery forest, and Miombo woodland. Yet, categorical land-cover maps impose discrete boundaries on these inherently continuous vegetation gradients, systematically discarding subpixel compositional information critical for forest monitoring and carbon accounting. The magnitude of this information loss at the landscape scale, however, remains largely unquantified. In this study, we train a Multi-Output Neural Network (MONN) using Sentinel-2 spectral and textural predictors (2025) to estimate the proportional cover of three forest types across the province. Model performance is benchmarked against a normalised Random Forest (RF) using spatial block cross-validation. Categorical information loss is quantified pixel-wise using two complementary metrics, dominant class proportion and Shannon compositional entropy, alongside a derived interpretive quantity, categorical information loss. The MONN slightly outperformed RF (R² = 0.648 vs. 0.630; RMSE = 0.224 vs. 0.229), yet the results reveal a fundamentally heterogeneous landscape structure. The mean dominant-class proportion was only 56.2%, indicating that categorical maps discard, on average, 43.8% of compositional information per pixel. Only 7.9% of forested pixels exceeded the 75% dominance threshold, while Shannon entropy reached 74.1% of its theoretical maximum, indicating that forest types coexist in near-equal proportions across most pixels. This renders categorical attribution structurally inadequate for most of the forested landscape. Across 92.1% of forested pixels, no single forest type achieved clear dominance. These results show that compositional mixing is the dominant structural condition of the landscape, and that compositional mapping is essential for representing tropical forest structure in heterogeneous drylands. By formally quantifying categorical information loss at the landscape scale, this study shows that continuous compositional mapping converts this structural ambiguity into a spatially explicit ecological signal, with direct implications for monitoring vegetation dynamics and biodiversity, suggesting a structural source of error in carbon stock estimation in tropical dry forests that warrants empirical validation. Full article

The urban trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) plays a key role in sustaining livelihoods in the Global South, while also suggesting potential pressure on resource supply systems. This study provides an integrated analysis of NTFP diversity, market structure, economic importance, and perceived drivers of resource decline in Kolwezi, a rapidly expanding mining city where such dynamics remain poorly documented. Data were collected through surveys conducted with 35 sellers across two major urban markets and 384 consumers from different neighbourhoods and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to examine patterns, associations, and socio-demographic influences. A total of 65 NTFP species were recorded, including 49 plant, 14 animal, and 2 fungal species, reflecting strong dependence on Miombo ecosystems. Medicinal (59.3%) and food uses dominate, with multifunctional species such as Bobgunnia madagascariensis (Desv.) J.H.Kirkbr. & Wiersama, Canarium schweinfurthii Engl., Terminalia mollis M.A.Lawson, Gardenia ternifolia subsp. jovis-tonantis (Welw.) Verdc., and Albizia antunesiana Harms, playing a central role in both household use and market supply. The trade is largely female-dominated (79.1%) and constitutes a major component of the informal urban economy, with monthly incomes ranging from USD 9 to 429.3, primarily driven by sales volume rather than unit price. However, the sector is constrained by structural and logistical limitations, including remoteness of supply areas, seasonality, and limited value addition. The perceived declining availability of high-use-value species, attributed by respondents to deforestation, mining expansion, and overexploitation, highlights perceived sustainability concerns. These pressures are perceived differently across socio-demographic groups, indicating heterogeneous understandings of environmental change. Overall, the results indicate a perceived mismatch between rising urban demand and declining resource availability, which may reflect an emerging socio-ecological imbalance between urban demand and perceived resource availability. Addressing these challenges requires integrated strategies that combine the domestication of priority species, the development of processing chains, improved infrastructure, and strengthened governance mechanisms. Such approaches are essential to reconcile livelihood support with the sustainable management of NTFPs in rapidly transforming urban landscapes. Full article

Village landscapes within an 80 km radius of Lubumbashi (south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) are undergoing rapid spatial transformation driven by subsistence agriculture, charcoal production, and mining activities. This study analyzes how these transformations are spatially perceived and organized across five village territories of the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin using an adapted version of Kevin Lynch’s perceptual model. Landscape elements were independently identified by trained cartographic observers and by local community members. A comparison of the resulting maps yields a Sørensen similarity index ranging between 70% and 75% across villages, indicating strong convergence in spatial interpretation despite differences in expertise. Among the perceptual components, districts and landmarks account for nearly half of all identified elements and comprise the most perceptible anthropogenic disturbances. Spatial analysis shows that areas perceived as negatively impacted represent between 40% and 79% of total village surfaces. Deforestation associated with post-cultivation fallow dominates in Makisemu (47.6%) and Texas (64.4%), while woodland degradation linked to charcoal production is particularly pronounced in Mwawa (39.0%) and Luisha (25.1%). Mining-related disturbances, including soil and water alteration, are especially evident in Nsela (24.6%). These findings demonstrate that Lynch’s framework, although originally developed for urban systems, can effectively structure perception in diffuse rural woodland environments when methodologically adapted. Perception-based cartography therefore provides a robust complementary tool to biophysical monitoring for understanding the spatial footprint of anthropogenic pressures at the village scale and informing ecosystem restoration strategies. Full article

The Gilé National Park (PNAG for its acronym in Portuguese), located in central Mozambique is one of the most important protected areas in the country. It is one of the last remnants of intact Miombo woodlands, providing critical habitat for endemic biodiversity. Fires are an important ecological factor in Miombo, but changes in fire regimes may compromise the stability of this ecosystem and thus, the conservation value of PNAG. This study assessed fire patterns and mapped fire risk in support of adaptive management in the PNAG. We investigated Miombo fire regime over 23 years (2001 to 2023) in terms of return interval, frequency, temporal distribution, spatial density and intensity, extent, and severity, by using two Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite products (MCD14ML active fire; MCD64A1 burned area). Primary risk drivers were established and spatial fire likelihood mapped, using the Random Forest algorithm. Analysis revealed pronounced late dry season burning (August–October) affecting approximately 60% of the PNAG annually, especially in central-northern and eastern landscapes. Remarkably, 88% of the park maintains a 1-to-2-year fire return interval across the entire fire season (May–October) while only 7% maintains return frequencies of 3-to-4-year cycles. The latter is important for maintaining Miombo ecosystem functionality. Medium to medium–high fire severity covered 98% of the total fire extension. Climate-related drivers and hunting activities were identified as key fire initiators, especially in central areas of the park. The findings demonstrate an urgent need for spatially differentiated fire management action through prescribed burning to maintain PNAG’s ecological resilience and conservation value. Full article

Tropical forests play an essential role in the carbon and water cycles of terrestrial ecosystems, but they are increasingly threatened by human activities and climate change. For places where ground observations are scarce, like in Equatorial Africa, remote sensing is a key source of information for monitoring the temporal and spatial dynamics of forests over large areas. Several Earth Observation-based global maps were developed in recent decades using different definitions of the land-use/land-cover (LULC) classes. While such products are widely used for monitoring land use and planning land management, the consistency of these LULC maps for the Congo Basin has never been analyzed and quantified at the ecosystem level. Here, we selected seven of the most-used global maps and analyzed their consistency over the Congo Basin. After reclassification into forest/non-forest masks and spatial resampling, we assessed the agreement and disagreement percentage across the different tropical ecoregions of Africa, from moist forest to miombo, including savanna. The datasets showed differences in forest area as a function of spatial resolution, with higher forest area levels at coarser resolutions (e.g., from 74.1% to 88.5% forest cover when upscaling the GLCLU from 30 m to 1 km over the Congo Basin). A higher agreement between the datasets was found for forest area over moist forest (between 88.18% and 99.38%) in comparison to savanna (32.82%–99.84%) and miombo (53.83%–99.7%). These discrepancies led to large differences in forest cover, varying from a net loss of 205,704 km² to a net gain of 50,726 km² over 2001–2019 depending on the dataset used. This study draws attention to the uncertainty associated with these products with regard to forests, particularly in regions of biological importance, such as the miombo and savanna regions, which remain poorly understood. Indeed, the two major uncertainties affecting the quality of LULC products are related to the different spatial resolutions and biological definition of “forest” adopted by each product. Full article

Accurate assessments of aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks and their changes in extensive Miombo forests are challenging due to the lack of site-specific allometric equations (AEs). Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) is a non-destructive method that enables the calibration of AEs and has recently been validated by the IPCC guidelines for carbon accounting within the REDD+ framework. TLS surveys were carried out in five non-contiguous 1-ha plots in two study sites in the wet Miombo forest of Katanga, in the Democratic Republic Congo. Local wood densities (WD) were determined from wood cores taken from 619 trees on the sites. After a careful checking of Quantitative Structure Models (QSMs) output, the individual volumes of 213 trees derived from TLS data processing were converted to AGB using WD. Four AEs were calibrated using different predictors, and all presented strong performance metrics (e.g., R² ranging from 90 to 93%), low relative bias and relative individual mean error (11.73 to 16.34%). Multivariate analyses performed on plot floristic and structural data showed a strong contrast in terms of composition and structure between sites and between plots within sites. Even though the whole variability of the biome has not been sampled, we were thus able to confirm the transposability of results within the wet Miombo forests through two cross-validation approaches. The AGB predictions obtained with our best AE were also compared with AEs found in the literature. Overall, an underestimation of tree AGB varying from −35.04 to −19.97% was observed when AEs from the literature were used for predicting AGB in the Miombo of Katanga. Full article

The Miombo woodlands are declining in both area and value, primarily due to over-harvesting of commonly preferred species. These forests, however, still contain several other species that are potentially of commercial importance. This study aimed to address the need for improved volume and biomass estimates for the sustainable management and utilization of two of the most abundant timber species in Mozambique’s Miombo woodlands: Brachystegia spiciformis (common name: Messassa) and Julbernardia globiflora (common name: red Messassa). Non-linear models were developed to estimate the merchantable wood volume under bark, heartwood volume, and biomass. The volume and biomass models for wood and heartwood volume, which included both diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height as predictor variables, outperformed single-predictor models. However, the performance of some ratio models using DBH as the only predictor variable surpassed that of models using two predictor variables. The developed models are recommended for adoption by forest companies to increase economic and environmental benefits as they can refine harvest planning by improving the selection of trees for harvesting. Proper tree selection enhances the rate of recovery of high-quality timber from heartwood while observing sustainable forest management practices in Miombo and increasing the proportion of carbon removed from forests, which is subsequently stored in wood products outside the forest. Full article

The loengo (Anisophyllea boehmii Engl.) is a wild fruit originating from the Miombo forest. It is very popular in Angola and has great potential for local development. However, as it has received little attention from researchers, its composition is not well known. Against this backdrop, the proposed study aimed to characterize different samples of the fruit in order to better assess its nutritional and organoleptic value. First, a field survey was conducted to gather information on the harvesting period, prices, and consumption patterns. Then, four samples of several kilograms of fruit each were collected from three different areas in 2 consecutive years. The proximate composition and the polyphenolic, carotenoid, and aroma compound profiles of their pulp were compared. The study showed that the fruit is widely consumed for 8 months of the year. It is difficult to keep fresh and is often processed into drinks. The pulp was found to be rich in sugars, with a pH of around 3.2. Loengo is a good source of fiber, minerals, polyphenols (such as cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and flavonol glycosides), and carotenoids (such as β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene). Its aroma is associated with around 50 aroma compounds, primarily esters. This fruit therefore has interesting nutritional quality and technological potential. Certain compositional elements correlated with the area and the year of harvest. Further study of the processing of the fruit into pasteurized beverages is warranted for local added value. Full article

The low efficiency of carbonization techniques reduces the income of charcoal producers and exacerbates deforestation in the Miombo woodlands. This study examines marketing strategies and the profitability of charcoal production in the rural area of Lubumbashi. Activity monitoring, from production to sale, was conducted with 20 professional charcoal producers from the villages of Maksem, Sela, Luisha, and Mwawa. Economic and statistical analyses show that charcoal is mainly sold in the village (55%), in Lubumbashi (35%), and in the forest (10%). Overall, the activity is profitable: sales generate an average profit of CDF 462,218.78 (approximately USD 225.47), with a profit margin of 0.46 and a benefit–cost ratio of 0.86. The 57 kg packaging format is the most profitable, with an average profit of CDF 661,062.18 (USD 322.47), a profit margin of 0.66, and a benefit–cost ratio of 1.96. In contrast, the 29 kg bag results in losses: –CDF 24,009.60 (–USD 11.71), a profit margin of −0.20, and a benefit–cost ratio of −0.19. These findings indicate that profitability is influenced by the point of sale, packaging type, and season. Sales price, along with production and marketing costs, are the main economic determinants. Despite apparent profitability, the sustainability of this activity remains a concern. This study recommends improving production practices, structuring of charcoal producers through legally recognized associations, standardizing packaging, and implementing per-kilogram pricing in order to enhance profitability while reducing the pressure on forest resources. Full article

This study assessed the structure and composition of a Miombo woodland stand subjected to selective logging through a forest inventory, measuring all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm across 34 plots (1 ha each) for diameter, height, stem quality, and health status. The stand had a mean stem density of 255 stems/ha, basal area of 15 m²/ha, above ground biomass of 110 Mg/ha, and total volume of 145 m³/ha. The Fabaceae family, particularly Brachystegia spiciformis, dominated the composition. Diversity indices revealed moderate diversity (Shannon = 2.3, Simpson = 0.8, Pielou = 0.6), with a few dominant species. The diameter distribution followed a reverse J-shaped pattern typical of Miombo woodlands. The study (LevasFlor. (2024). Plano De Maneio Da LevasFlor, LDA) highlighted common features of selectively logged woodlands, including a low occurrence of large-diameter individuals from high-value commercial species, prevalence of disturbance-tolerant species, and limited regeneration for some species. These findings underscore the need for management strategies that balance ecological and socio-economic factors, mitigate logging impacts, promote regeneration, and ensure long-term sustainability. Effective policies are crucial for maintaining the ecological integrity and economic value of Miombo woodlands while addressing climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. Full article

The overexploitation of forest resources in the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) leads to deforestation and miombo woodlands degradation, threatening local livelihoods. Current forestry policies are ineffective, partly due to neglecting traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This study identifies and describes TEK and practices related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable miombo woodlands management. Focus groups and interviews were conducted in four villages (Maksem, Mwawa, Nsela, and Texas), selected based on forest resource availability and population size. Data on sacred sites, conservation practices, knowledge transmission, ceremonies, and socio-demographic factors were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact test, and Jaccard’s similarity index. The findings revealed that 75% of respondents identified sacred sites where logging activities are strictly prohibited. Thirty sacred tree species were identified, with stronger compliance in villages with a high availability of forest resources. This TEK is predominantly transmitted orally through family councils, as well as traditional ceremonies or rituals. Conservation practices include small-scale farming, intercropping, avoiding tree cutting in sacred sites, and using deadwood. However, only farming and intercropping are still commonly practiced, particularly in resource-scarce villages (64%). Women and elders are primary custodians of TEK, though its application is constrained by population growth and dwindling forest resources. The findings emphasize the crucial role of TEK in strengthening forest restoration initiatives by selecting key woody species and sustainable practices, while fostering community involvement. As such, decision makers should prioritize integrating TEK into DR Congo’s forest policies to support biodiversity conservation and miombo woodlands restoration efforts. Full article

The sustainability of reforestation initiatives depends on the involvement of local communities, whose lack of ownership compromises efforts to combat deforestation in the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin. This study assesses reforestation activities in two village areas (Milando and Mwawa), based on individual interviews (50 individuals/village area) and floristic inventories carried out in two types of habitats (reforested and unexploited) for each village area. The hypotheses tested were the following: (i) Reforested habitats and tree species were selected collaboratively, ensuring an inclusive approach; (ii) ecological parameters—density per hectare, quadratic mean diameter, basal area, and floristic diversity—of reforested sites were comparable to those of unexploited miombo due to protection allowing natural recovery; and (iii) ethnobotanical and floristic patterns reflect varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance and the limited diversity of species used in reforestation. Thus, the interviews gathered data on habitat and woody species selection for reforestation and management practices, while the inventories assessed the condition of these reforested habitats in terms of density per hectare, basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and floristic diversity. The results show that in both village areas, the selection of habitats for reforestation was carried out concertedly (22.00–44.00% of citations). Woody species were chosen according to the needs of local communities (40–52%) and the availability of seeds (18.00–44.00%). Furthermore, management practices for these reforested habitats include planning/assessment meetings (26.00–38.00%) and maintenance activities, such as firebreaks (38.00–46.00%) and surveillance of reforested habitats (24.00%). Additionally, these practices are being increasingly neglected, jeopardizing reforestation efforts. However, density/ha, basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and floristic diversity did not show significant differences between reforested and unexploited habitats, particularly at Milando (p > 0.05). Furthermore, floristic similarity is 55.56% for reforested habitats and 93.75% for unexploited habitats but remains low between reforested and unexploited habitats (40.00–47.62%). This similarity between ethnobotanical and floristic lists is also low (43.75–31.58%). Finally, a total of 442 woody individuals were recorded in reforested habitats and 630 in unexploited ones, with Fabaceae dominating both habitat types. Despite some cited reforestation species like Acacia polyacantha being absent, Brachystegia spiciformis emerged as the most prevalent species in both reforested and unexploited areas. The results of the present study suggest a sustainable and continuous management of these reforested habitats for an effective reconstitution of the forest cover. To reinforce the sustainable management of these reforested habitats, it is recommended that decision-makers conduct awareness-raising campaigns and establish payment for environmental service mechanisms to motivate communities. Full article

Fires play a significant role in shaping the Miombo woodlands. Understanding how fire affects the Miombo region’s resilience is crucial for ensuring its sustainability. This study evaluated plant composition and structure across different fire frequencies in the Miombo woodlands of the LevasFlor Forest Concession (LFC), central Mozambique. Fire frequency clusters-high (HFF), moderate (MFF), and low (LFF)-were identified using a 21-year remote-sensing dataset. In each cluster, 90 random sampling plots were established (30 per cluster). In each plot, the diameter at breast height (DBH) and total height of the saplings and trees were measured. Subplots were used to count and identify seedlings, herbs, climbers, and grasses. Plant species richness, evenness,—diversity, the importance value index (IVI), and similarity were computed to assess plant composition. For the structure, stem density, biomass, basal area, diameter, and height were assessed. A total of 124 plant species-including trees, saplings, seedlings, herbs, climbers, and grasses-were identified across the three clusters. The Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Index, tested with an ANOSIM similarity test, revealed significant differences in plant species composition among clusters (p < 0.0003), with an overall average dissimilarity of 71.98%. In the HFF cluster, fire-tolerant species were among the five species with the highest IVI, while fire-sensitive species predominated in the LFF. Additionally, the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated significant differences in seedling stem density (p < 0.005) between the LFF and other clusters. However, overall, the composition and structure attributes suggested that current fire regime does not significantly compromise the plant species resilience of the Miombo woodlands in the LFC. Still, it is essential to concentrate management and conservation efforts on seedlings of some key Miombo species, such as Brachystegia spiciformis, whose ecology is particularly affected by fire. Full article