Forest Resources and Wildlife Management Publications Newsletters

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Forest Resources and Wildlife Management Publications Newsletters

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    Ethnobotanical knowledge and use-value of Harpagophytum (Devil’s claw) in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe
    (Elsevier, 2021-09-17) Ncube, S.F.; Ndagurwa, H.G.; Mundy, P.J.; Sibanda, S.; Dlodlo, M.
    Quantitative ethnobotanical knowledge is important in guiding sustainable resource use, yet for many medicinal plants such as Harpagophytum (Devil's claw), this information is scanty. Thus, we documented the ethnobotanical knowledge of Devil's claw in Hwange, Gwanda, Matobo, and Tsholotsho, western Zimbabwe, in relation to a person's age, gender, level of education, and locality. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we interviewed 205 respondents on their knowledge of the physical features, distribution, uses and use-values, part used, and the method of preparation of Devil's claw. Physical identification was assessed based on the frequency of knowledge of plant parts. Binomial General Linear Models were used to test the effect of age, education, gender, and locality on the respondent's knowledge. Relationships of age, gender, level of education, and locality to ethnoecological perceptions were assessed using Pearson's Chi-square test. Use values were assessed based on Plant Part Value (PPV), Use Value category (UVk), and Overall Use Value (OUV). Ethnobotanical knowledge varied with locality and age, with better physical description in most adults and senior respondents in Hwange and Tsholotsho. Respondent's perceptions showed that Devil's claw was more abundant in Hwange and Tsholotsho relative to Matobo and Gwanda. Tubers (53%) were most valued in all localities followed by leaves (29%), and fruits (18%). Of the five identified categories of use, medicinal (UVk of 0.38) was the most important while ethnoveterinary, rituals, personal care, and food were least important (all UVks ≤0.02). OUVs were dependent on locality, significantly higher in Hwange and Tsholotsho (0.64 and 0.58, respectively) as compared to Gwanda (0.1) and Matobo (0.28). This study provides a wealth of knowledge that contributes to the preservation of indigenous knowledge of Devil's claw, sustainable management of the plant as well as further contribute to pharmacological interventions.
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    Land use effects on phylogenetic and functional diversity of birds: Significance of urban green spaces
    (Elsevier, 2022-05-07) Muvengwi, J.; Fritz, H.; Mbiba, M.; Ndagurwa, H.G.
    Although research has been done in order to understand the impact of urban development on avian diversity, it mainly focused on taxonomic diversity. Here we aimed to assess biodiversity targeting beyond species richness since this has the potential to inform the conservation of healthy functioning ecosystem. We explored how functional and phylogenetic diversity vary between a protected area and urban green spaces. We collected avian data at Lake Chivero Park and six green spaces in the city of Harare, Zimbabwe. The avian point count method at 30 sites for each location (Harare and Lake Chivero Park) was conducted. Alpha diversity indices were compared between Harare and Lake Chivero Park using independent t-test. One-way analysis of variance was applied to test for variation in functional and phylogenetic beta-diversity metrics together with the respective standardized effect size. Urban green spaces had higher species richness, abundance, phylogenetic and functional diversity than Lake Chivero Park. Beta diversity between the two sites was much higher than within sites diversity. The two sites did not differ in terms of beta diversity. Our study shows that urban development that incorporates green spaces maybe critical in the conservation of functional and phylogenetic diversity of avifauna. We suggest that urban landscapes be considered in national and regional conservation plans since they can act as conduits between protected areas, especially for avifauna.
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    The influence of African elephants on litter and soil nitrogen attributes in mopane woodland in Hwange National Park, northwest Zimbabwe
    (Elsevier, 2022-05-17) Maponga, T.S.; Ndagurwa, H.G.; Muvengwi, J.; Sebele, L.; Nzuma, T.M.
    Little is known about modification of nutrient fluxes through elephant-induced woodland change. We assessed litter quality, soil N attributes, and N transformations in five 20 × 20 m plots each established on sites of low, medium, and high elephant utilization categorized using dung-count surveys in three mopane woodland patches in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Litter standing crop significantly declined but litter N, lignin, lignin:N, condensed tannins, and total phenols increased with increasing elephant utilization, peaking at intermediate levels of elephant utilization. Medium elephant utilization sites had more than twice the nitrate pools in low and high elephant utilization sites (p < 0.001). Ammonium concentration at low elephant utilization was lower by 65% and 92% than at high and medium elephant utilization, respectively. Soil moisture, infiltration rates, N mineralization, and nitrification decreased with increasing elephant utilization. Nitrogen mineralization and nitrification were up to four times greater in low than in medium and high elephant utilization sites. Ammonium, N mineralization, and nitrification were positively correlated to litter N but negatively correlated to condensed tannins. These results indicate that elephant-induced woodland change plays an important role in carbon and nutrient fluxes potentially increasing resources heterogeneity and reinforcing the patch dynamics of savanna.
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    Comparability of radar and optical methods in identifying surface water in a semi-arid protected area
    (African Journal of Ecology, 2024-05-22) Dzinotizei, Z.; Ndagurwa, H.G.; Ndaimani, H.; Chichinye, A.,
    Surface water assumes a pivotal role in sustaining a wide range of wildlife species in semi‐arid protected areas. However, differences in surface water body typology, underlying soil type, wildlife activity, the presence of phytoplankton amongst other factors, result in high variability of surface water spectral reflectance and detection accuracy. In this study, the performance of radar and optical methods was evaluated in detecting surface water of variable spectral reflectance in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe using Sentinel‐1 radar and Sentinel‐2 optical images for the period 2016–2023. Results demonstrated that radar methods had low surface water detection accuracy which was highly variable as shown by overall accuracy and kappa statistic measures which continuously changed over time compared with optical methods. The overall best‐performing method was the optical AWEInsh (sharpened) which showed high surface water detection accuracy and consistency (OA: 94%–100%) and (κ: 0.88–1.00) from 2016 to 2023. Therefore, optical methods present a stable and robust way for surface water monitoring in heterogeneous semi‐arid protected areas. However, radar‐based methods should be continually explored where optical‐based technologies are impeded as a result of vegetation cover and cloud conditions.
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    Mistletoe-infected trees facilitate invasion of the alien shrub Lantana camara in a semi-arid African savanna
    (Elsevier, 2024-07-18) Mlambo, D.; Mundava, J.
    The co-occurrence of mistletoes and Lantana camara (hereafter, lantana) is common in southern Africa, yet little is known about how they interact. To fill this gap, we investigated whether mistletoe-infected trees facilitate lantana invasion in a semi-arid southern African savanna. We compared invasibility, native woody plant diversity and soil parameters beneath mistletoe-infected and non-infected trees. We trapped bird droppings beneath mistletoe-infected and non-infected trees and conducted germination experiments to check if they contained viable lantana seeds. Regardless of whether trees were legumes or non-legumes, the subcanopy environments of mistletoe-infected trees had significantly higher invasibility than non-infected trees. The probability of lantana invasion beneath trees increased with mistletoe-infection levels. Soil nutrient concentrations were higher beneath mistletoe-infected trees than non-infected trees. Subcanopy invasibility was positively correlated with soil nutrient concentrations and negatively with native woody plant diversity. We found viable lantana seeds in bird droppings beneath mistletoe-infected trees. Put together, our findings indicate that mistletoes indirectly facilitate lantana invasion by enriching soil nutrients and attracting lantana seed dispersers. Our work provides a rationale for the necessity to simultaneously manage mistletoes and lantana where they cooccur to reduce invasion of the latter.