Population structure and distribution of baobab (Adansonia digitata) in Malawi in an era of enhanced forest resource utilization
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Abstract. Chirwa M, Mazibuko DM, Sagona WCJ. 2024. Population structure and distribution of baobab (Adansonia digitata) in Malawi in an era of enhanced forest resource utilization. Asian J For 8: 88-97. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) contribute to people's livelihood security, especially those in rural areas. However, there is a growing concern that NTFP-providing trees are declining due to land-use change, use intensi?cation, and over-harvesting, therefore an urgent need for sustainable use. This study was conducted in six districts in Malawi: Mangochi, Salima, Mwanza, Neno, Chikwawa, and Nsanje, to understand the population dynamics of Adansonia digitata L., which would inform sustainable management of the species. The study aimed to investigate the ecological conditions supporting A. digitata growth and assess human impacts on regeneration and seedling recruitment. The assessments were done on 1,223 trees in baobab clusters overlaid with systematic grids with a 500 m spacing interval between individual plots. The trees' diameter ranged between 230 and 305 cm, translating to yield estimates between 520 and 1,084 fruits per tree for the districts. The species was most prevalent in settlements and farmlands and least likely in grasslands. Population structures showed that the species is unstable in replenishment, with a limited number of saplings and juveniles in the sampled locations. Generally, the baobab population seemed less affected by diseases or pests, as no more than 3 % of the assessed population was infested. Deliberate efforts are required to promote raising baobab trees by nurturing the existing few seedlings and saplings or up-scaled integration of the resource on farmlands.
2017-01-01
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