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Rapid Land Use Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Miombo Woodland: Assessing the Challenges for Land Management in South-West Tanzania

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Rapid Land Use Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Miombo Woodland: Assessing the Challenges for Land Management in South-West Tanzania Rapid land use change, biodiversity and ecosystem services in miombo woodland: Assessing the challenges for land management in south-west Tanzania Eleanor Katherine Kezia Jew Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment School of Biology March, 2016 ii The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own, except where work which has formed part of jointly-authored publications has been included. The contribution of the candidate and the other authors to this work has been explicitly indicated below. The candidate confirms that appropriate credit has been given within the thesis where reference has been made to the work of others. PhD publications Parts of this thesis have been published as follows: Jew, E.K.K., Dougill, A.J., Sallu, S.M., O’Connell, J., and Benton, T.G. (2016) Miombo woodland under threat: Consequences for tree diversity and carbon storage. Forest Ecology and Management, 361: 144-153 For this publication I collected all the data, conducted the analysis and wrote the paper. Jerome O’Connell conducted supervised classification of remote sensing images to enable the selection of potential ecological research sites. He also reviewed a revised draft of the paper. Andrew Dougill, Susannah Sallu and Tim Benton provided comments on earlier and final drafts and proof read final drafts. Jew, E.K.K., Loos, J., Dougill, A.J., Sallu, S.M., and Benton, T.G. (2015) Butterfly communities in miombo woodland: Biodiversity declines with increasing woodland utilisation. Biological Conservation, 192: 436-444 For this publication I collected all the data, conducted the analysis and wrote the paper. Jacqueline Loos assisted with data analysis by providing advice and checking results. She also proof read final drafts. Andrew Dougill, Susannah Sallu and Tim Benton provided comments on earlier and final drafts and proof read final drafts. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. The right of Eleanor Katherine Kezia Jew to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. © 2015. The University of Leeds and Eleanor Katherine Kezia Jew iii Acknowledgements This research was only possible with the help and support of a whole range of people. Without Andy’s constant support for a good few years pre-PhD on a hunt for funding it would never have even made it from the realms of a ‘good idea’. Andy’s support throughout the last four years has been unwavering. Susie has been awesome as well, and I am grateful for her honesty and all the fun, from fieldtrips to wardrobe recycling. Many thanks to Tim for always being on the end of an email, with endless patience for a range of slightly odd questions. I am very grateful for my funding; a NERC/ESRC studentship, and additional grants through Africa College and the Sustainability Research Institute. I am very thankful for a bequest from Freda and Jan Parsons, which was fundamental for purchase of equipment and a vehicle. Without Phil, ten months in the bush talking to myself would probably have been unbearable, but together we made it through. Having additional support to run the gauntlet of threats of mutiny, blackmail, deportation, and black mambas made each challenge less daunting, and there was always someone to laugh about it with later. Phil’s engineering knowledge and experience were crucial for the implementation of the well project – installing two wells at the secondary schools within the Kipembawe Division – my contribution to the community in Kipembawe as a way of thanking them for their help and support. And then of course two years of writing up support too; each time my memory failed or I decided that doing anything else was better than this, I was led firmly back to the computer to carry on. Were it not for the support and kindness of people living within the Kipembawe Division this project would have been over before it even began. Many thanks to Mr Bilali for facilitating pretty much everything, and to my research assistants: Mr Mgoda, Engel, Yohanna and Moses. Thank you so much for taking everything in your stride, from chasing butterflies to digging toilets. Yahya, Valeria and Thabiti - thank you so much for all your translating powers, and for your adaptability throughout. Thank you also to my temporary assistants, Leons, Victor, Bahati, Kimwaga, Joni, Dixon and all the ladies in the villages who helped us cook. I would have been lost from the very start without Alan’s support in Tanzania. From accommodation to cars, immigration contacts and fun nights and days in Dar, thank you! Many thanks to Roy and Zoe, for all your help, car sitting and words of wisdom. Many thanks also to Professor Howell for great insights and contacts in biology, and for calming my fears over black mambas. Thank you also to Colin Congdon for your enthusiasm for butterflies, and for being so iv helpful and willing to identify specimens. And that brings me to the car. Oh Pumba, without you I couldn’t have done it, but boy were you sent to test me, and my budget. Many thanks are due to the numerus mechanics we met along the way, some more helpful than others….. Angela and Amy were crucial for the completion of one of the most memorable parts of the trip, joining me and Phil for a rumble up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the well project. Despite a small altitude-induced sense of humour failure on my behalf (“I’m from Lincolnshire! I don’t do hills, let alone mountains!”), it was an incredible experience, and perfect to spend it with my closest friends. Angela remains my rock. Where would I be without the Holky! Many thanks to Beth for being my partner in crime (sorry PhD) for the last four years, we’ve stayed on this rollercoaster together, somehow. Rachel/Wiki, for knowing absolutely everything and instilling confidence; Jami for the giggles and adventuring fun; Sally for the best hugs ever; Julia for her words of wisdom, Jen for unerring faith; and Katie for always being there. Many thanks also to Kate, Susi, Harriet and Sarah for providing wine, support and friendship throughout the years. Thank you to Josh, for proof-reading and lunches, and Susie G for sensible rain checks. Dom and Jess, thank you for your advice, there have been many times over the last four years when I really, really, wished I’d taken it! Thank you for always being there to deal with the consequences. Thank you Tom, for being the best housemate ever, arranging the coolest holidays and putting up with endless horse and PhD chat. And to Ben, Ceri, Chris, Craig, Jen, Rich, Chloe and everyone else in the Chapel Allerton crew for being on those awesome holidays, and always being up for a party. Also thanks to the Roundhay Ravens, for presenting a reason to exercise in my fourth year. Many thanks to Tim, Alex, Pippa and Toby at Operation Wallacea for continuing to have faith in me, and giving me the opportunity to work in South Africa, meet awesome people and carry on learning. Many thanks to Jacqui and Jerome, my co-authors for two papers, for your hard work and patient explanations. And many thanks to Pete and Richard for your R support. Having a horse during a PhD is an absolute must. Danny provided the best reason ever to forget about everything, and allow inspiration to strike while gazing over the stunning Yorkshire countryside. A massive thank you to Bob, Jane and Beryl for looking after him while I was away on fieldwork and putting up with his ‘little’ quirks. And to Charlotte, Melissa and Cath for all our eventful outings. Here’s to many more! v Finally, without the support from my mother over the years I would not have been able to do all the amazing things I have. I never give her the credit she deserves, and her support over the years has been phenomenal, from fending off the ‘will she ever get a job?’ questions to raising money for the well project, being my administrative support and paying vet’s bills in my absence. My father never knew that I would be embarking on a PhD. My interest in conservation and travelling came from him, and without his encouragement to explore the world and always saying yes to a new travelling plan I would never have fallen in love with Africa. This is for him. Graham Frederick Ramsey Jew 1951-2008 vii Abstract The miombo woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa contain valuable wildlife populations, support the livelihoods of millions of people and contribute vital ecosystem services across local, national and international scales. Rapid conversion of woodland to agriculture is common, but knowledge gaps exist regarding what drives this land use change, how biodiversity responds, and how these responses affect the availability and accessibility of resources to communities. Such information is needed to make appropriate land use management decisions. This thesis aims to advance understanding by addressing these gaps using a case study from the Mbeya Region of south-west Tanzania, a remote region undergoing rapid land use change. An interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach was used to collect ecological and social data from the Kipembawe Division. The thesis provides new contemporary insights on the context and nature of rapid change in this area, demonstrating that cultivation of the main cash crop tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is the significant driver of land use change.
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