Abstract: Bush encroachment of savannah ecosystems in countries like Botswana and Namibia has been identified as a major problem threatening biodiversity, grazing land productivity and the generation of groundwater. Incidentally, the same problem presents a huge biomass energy resource opportunity which can be exploited through various technologies. This paper defines the scope of the problem in Botswana, comparing with the well documented and partly proven case of encroacher bush waste valo...
Abstract: Small-scale farmlands are dynamic systems crucial to the food-security and livelihoods of more than two billion people and there is political pressure in many developing nations to consolidate and expand small farms into larger units of management. This could have consequences for agro-ecosystem processes and the ecosystem services and disservices that regulate crop production. This thesis aims to highlight and address these issues in smallholder farming landscapes, which are poorl...
Diversity in India is observed in almost all the fields. Diversity is a concept about range of variation or differences among entities. India is a land of physical, ecological, biological, socio, cultural and linguistic diversity. It is characterized by innumerable varieties of climate pattern and habitats. Vegetation in relation to environment has been the major approach in studying the ecological aspects. These aspects present an integrated picture of the interactions of the species, ...
ABSTRACT Sustained wetland functioning needs proper land use planning which in its best requires integrated land management. High anthropogenic pressures on the Kibasira Swamp may undermine its potential in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provisioning. A study was conducted to investigate the implications of land use/cover on the biodiversity of Kibasira Swamp. Landsat TM and ETM+ images for the period 1990, 1998 and 2011 were used to quantify the changes. Plants and bird sp...
ABSTRACT An assessment of diversity, abundance and distribution of herpetofauna in grassland, kopjes, woodland, riverine forest and wetlands habitats of Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), Tanzania was conducted between December 2012 and March 2013. Drift fence with pitfall, wire mesh funnel traps, active search and visual encounter survey, road survey and purposive point count methods were used to obtain data for this study. Besides, focus group discussion and literature review were used to s...
ABSTRACT Lantana camara is one of the alien invasive species introduced to East Usambara about 100 years ago. The species is locally increasing in abundance and spatially advancing to new areas threatening the livelihoods of local communities and biodiversity in nearby Amani Nature Reserve. This study assessed local communities‟ perceptions on Lantana camara focusing on its origin, pathways, socio-economic impacts and management responses in East Usambara. Data was collected through househ...
ABSTRACT This study attempted to assess floristic composition, stocking and disturbance in MCFR. Specifically, the study aimed to assess plant species richness and diversity, stem density, basal area and volume of the trees, intensity and distribution of disturbance and determine land cover changes for the past 41 years in MCFR. A total of 20 clusters with 100 concentric circular plots with radii 2,5,10 and 15m aligned in four transects across the entire forest of 65710ha were used for the s...
ABSTRACT Fish is an important component of aquatic biodiversity in Tanzania and plays an important role in the national economy. However, the spatial-temporal distribution of fish in the Little Ruaha River Catchments and its contribution to household income have not been given sufficient evaluation. This study determined the spatiotemporal diversity and abundance of fish, generated the information spatial distribution of fish across the catchments and determine the contribution of fish to ...
ABSTRACT Human-elephant conflicts (HEC) have been persistent in Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserves (IGGRs) and the adjacent communities of Bunda and Serengeti districts, Mara region. This study aimed to identify factors leading to HEC, examine losers and gainers, determine barriers to applied measures and suggest new approaches and techniques for effective mitigation of HEC. Data collection involved direct observations, key informant interviews and household survey using questionnaires. The anal...
ABSTRACT Alien plant are plant species introduced in a new area outside their native range and when spread beyond the place of introduction, they become invasive thereby suppressing regeneration of native plants. There is little empirical evidence explaining the effects of the extent of spread of alien plant on regeneration of native tree species. This study was conducted in Amani Botanical Garden (ABG) to assess the effects of selected alien plants on recruitment of native tree species. A c...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Heteropsylla cubana has caused damaging effects to Leucaena leucocephala in Tanzania since its outbreak in 1992. The major objectives of the study were; to determine population density of H. cubana, mummies of T. leucaena and P. yaseeni, indigenous predators associated with H. cubana, infestation density and shoot health of L. leucocephala resulting from H. cubana attack in Morogoro and Tanga region. The Point Centre Quarter method was employed to select L. leucocephala for...