• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

9 I. Site selection and description Discussions were held between the TREP team boundary. The Regulos 4 governing these two and the Administrator of GNP to identify communities were responsible for the traditional communities that would provide useful control of Gorongosa Mountain. information for the development of the Park plan. The traditional leaders from each of these The importance of community perspectives on the communities were approached and asked if they biophysical resources in the Park, and also their would be willing to involve their communities in perspectives on resources outside of the Park but the research project. In all cases this permission on which GNP was critically dependent,3 were was granted, although in the Canda site this discussed. Following these discussions permission was more guardedly given - apparently reconnaissance trips were made to four different because previous research initiatives had yielded communities. The first of these potential sites was no tangible benefits for the community, and in called Muaredzi and was entirely within the GNP fact once the researchers had left nothing was (M - Figure 2). The second site (Nhanchururu) was ever heard from them again. on the western boundary of the GNP and hence in In general the selections were made using the the foothills of Gorongosa Mountain with the following criteria: community straddling the GNP boundary (N - Figure 2). The third and fourth sites (Vunduzi 1. Willingness of community leaders to and Canda) were located on the eastern and participate; western sides of Gorongosa Mountain respectively 2. Degree of dependence of community on (V and C - Figure 2). The Vunduzi community was GNP resources; close to the GNP boundary whilst the Canda 3. Accessibility of the site. community was several kilometres from the GNP Based on the reconnaissance visits it was decided that the project would start in Muaredzi 3 GNP is critically dependent on the water that drains off and then carry on in the Nhanchururu site. The Gorongosa Mountain and that which drains off Cheringoma Plateau. Both of these areas are outside of Vunduzi site, whilst offering the opportunity to the GNP and hence not under the control of the park work on the biologically very interesting authorities. Gorongosa Mountain, would be inaccessible after 4Regulo is the highest level of traditional leadership - severe rains, whilst the Canda site was furthest roughly equivalent to Chiefs in other parts of southern from the park and hence reflected the least Africa. dependence on Park resources. Although 10 Tim Lynam, Rob Cunliffe, Isaac Mapaure and Isau Bwerinofa Figure 2. Map of central Mozambique showing Gorongosa Mountain, Gorongosa National Park (GNP) and the four preliminary sites considered for further investigation; C=Canda, V=Vunduzi, N=Nhanchururu, and M=Muaredzi. Gorongosa Mountain itself provides one of the do not have a full count of people living in most interesting biological sites in the region, due Muaredzi, 40 households were identified in to the difficulty of working there (access is limited November 2001. These were split roughly equally to a walk up lasting several hours and then north and south of the Muaredzi River. The camping at the top) it was decided to not attempt community falls under the jurisdiction of two to implement the project there. different Regulos. Regulo Nguinha controls the Once the Muaredzi and Nhanchururu sites were area to the north of the Muaredzi River and selected, the local leaders in each community Regulo Nhantaze controls the area to the south. were asked to assist in conducting the traditional Within Muaredzi there were four Fumos 5. ceremonies that were necessary for the ancestral Residents are forbidden by park regulations spirits to accept the project. to venture to the west of the Urema River. The village area does not appear to have any clear A. Background to Muaredzi boundaries to the east, south or north. In addition to the road to Muanza, there are The Muaredzi community is situated on the north two other tracks leading away from Muaredzi. One and south sides of the Muaredzi River where it leads north for some 18km along the edge of the joins the Urema River, downstream of Lake Urema Urema floodplain to Goinha (also known as Maunza (Figure 3). Maunza, the nearest town, is Baixo). The other comprises a path, which runs approximately 35km to the northeast and Chitengo for some 5 km to the south of the village, to a the GNP headquarters is about the same distance crossing point on the Urema river known as to the west. There is no regular transport from Jangada. Across the river, this connects to the Muaredzi to Maunza and, and other than the road to GNP headquarters at Chitengo, some 35km occasional visit by national parks staff, very few to the west. Before the civil war there was a vehicles come to the village. pontoon here (hence the name Jangada), but now The village area, comprising all households the only means of crossing is by a dugout canoe. and fields, is relatively compact, being contained within an area of about 2km by 2km. In 1998 there were estimated to be 172 members in the 5Fumos are the next level of traditional leadership down community (Costa and Vogt, 1998). Although we from the Regulo. Assessment of the value of woodland landscape function to local communities in Gorongosa and Muanza Districts, Sofala Province, Mozambique 11 Figure 3. Muaredzi study site showing the major rivers, 10 m contours and major routes from the village centre. The nearest neighbours to Muaredzi live within sea level) and hot (mean annual temperatures of a small village comprising a few households 25.5o C). Rainfall is relatively high, but very situated several km to the south of Jangada. To variable (mean annual rainfall 850mm, coefficient the north, the closest village is Goinha, which of variation 67%). Evaporation is high and greatly appears to be slightly larger than Muaredzi. Both exceeds precipitation in the dry season months of these are also within the National Park. There (mid-April to mid-October). are no schools, clinics or shops within the village, Geologically the Urema trough section of the such that people must travel to Muanza for these rift valley was covered by alluvial fan deposits in facilities. The lack of any buildings with tin roofs Pleistocene to recent times. These deposits have in Muaredzi, provides a further indicator of the given rise to black, hydromorphic clays limited extent of development. interspersed with non-hydromorphic alluvia and Tinley (1977, Figure 7.2) did not indicate any grey, semi-impervious sandy soils. The soils are settlement in the Muaredzi area at the time of base rich and hence generally fertile (although his analyses (mid-1970’s), although there were often saline). In some areas underlying sand at 2- settlements north and south of Muaredzi along 4 metres gives rise to gilgai micro-relief. Organic the Urema river basin. The 1:50,000 topographic carbon is generally high (1.5-5%) in the dominant map of the Muaredzi area (based on air soils of the Urema trough area and most of these photography of 1958/60) does however, indicate soils are phosphorous rich. a small area of settlement a few km east of the The vegetation of the Lake Urema floodplain present settlement. The inhabitants were area is dominated by open grasslands. Tinley essentially subsistence producers of sorghum, (1977) classified these into short, medium and cassava and maize (as a cash crop). These crop tall floodplain grasslands. The short grasslands yields would be supplemented with fish and wild life harvesting. 6 Situated towards the southern most end of the Most of the background data that is presented for both o o sites is drawn from Ken Tinley’s (1977) remarkable PhD great rift valley (18.9392 S, 34.5557 E), in what thesis that was based in the Gorongosa - Marromeu is called the Urema trough section of the rift valley, region of northern Sofala Province. Where data are from Muaredzi is low lying 6 (approximately 30 m above a different source this source is identified. 12 Tim Lynam, Rob Cunliffe, Isaac Mapaure and Isau Bwerinofa comprise communities dominated by Sporobolus The GNP maintains a ranger’s post in the spp. (particularly S. kentrophyllus and S. ioclados ) village, from where there is radio contact to on saline soils, and others dominated by the their headquarters at Chitengo (although this Cynodon dactylon and Digitaria swazilandensis was not always functional). An overriding lawns. The latter form the bulk of the floodplains concern of the Muaredzi community is that the on the south and northwest sides of Lake Urema. GNP would like them to relocate to outside of The medium grassland largely comprises two the park area. The park has previously communities - one dominated by Setaria eylesii attempted to force them to move, and has made and the other by Echinachloa stagina. The tall it clear that they would still like to pursue this. grasslands are characterised by a Vetiveria Villagers are adamant that they want to remain nigritana community, which grows to 225cm in where they are. height. These different grassland communities Being situated within the national park, the occur as a mosaic that grades into the savanna village is exposed to wildlife. Elephant move areas above the floodplain. Historically there within the village area and surrounds, and clearly would have been a large biomass and diversity do cause some destruction to crops. A number of of herbivores associated with these grasslands, smaller animals were also commonly seen within but during and after the war of independence close proximity to the village, including nyala, these populations were completely decimated.

Load more

  6

Copy Link