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  1. NuSpace
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Browsing by Author "Zinyowera, N.I."

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    Changes in miombo woody assemblage along a disturbance gradient in a smallholder tobacco production communal land, northeast Zimbabwe
    (Elsevier, 2021-09-19) Zinyowera, N.I.; Ndagurwa, H.G.; Muvengwi, J.
    Harvesting of large, hard timber trees for tobacco curing and barn construction affects the integrity of miombo woodlands, yet impacts have been quantified in a few studies despite the recent increase in tobacco farming in rural Zimbabwe. Therefore, we examined nature of disturbances, vegetation structure, and woody assemblage of miombo woodland in five plots (20 m × 20 m) each established within 1 km, 2.5 km, and 4 km from the boundary of a smallholder tobacco production communal land in northeast Zimbabwe. Fire, livestock grazing, firewood and pole collection, and land clearing were the major anthropogenic disturbances, being more prevalent closer to the communal area. Consequently, these disturbances declined with increasing distance from the communal area. Although the majority of the species were associated with the more disturbed sites in the communal area, species diversity did not differ between the sampling categories. Tree height, diameter, and basal area increased but sapling density declined with distance from the communal area. Seedlings were larger and denser within the communal area boundary while mature trees were denser, dominant, and species-rich further away from the communal area. In all sampling categories, the diameter size-class distribution followed an inverse J-shape dominated by young trees indicating a stable, regenerating population. Together, our results show that, in response to disturbance, miombo woodland structure changes into a shrub-rich plant community, but species composition is unaffected due to resprouting and coppicing from stumps remaining on the site. Although the inverse J-shape observed in all sampled sites indicate a potentially resilient and persistent population, monitoring over longer periods is recommended to ensure sustainable use and better inform policy on woodland management in agriculture-dominated areas.

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