Fuelwood preferences, use and availability in the #Khomani San resettlement farms, southern Kalahari, South Africa

Abstract

Local level assessments of fuelwood preferences, demand and supply are important for ensuring a balance between ecological functions and livelihood needs. This study reports on an examination of fuelwood preferences, use and abundance in the #Khomani San resettlement farms in southern Kalahari, South Africa. The results show that Acacia erioloba was the most preferred fuelwood species, while Acacia mellifera was abundant but avoided. Across the study area, there were approximately 64 trees ha⁻¹ but riverine sites had significantly more trees (approximately 80 trees ha⁻¹) than non-riverine sites (48 trees ha⁻¹). Live trees showed evidence of damage (cutting or breaking) and this was more pronounced in the riverine sites (close to human settlement) than in the non-riverine sites. However, overall current woody stocks and productivity rates of harvestable fuelwood are well above current fuelwood demand, suggesting fuelwood use may be within sustainable limits, though there is evidence of localised fuelwood depletion. The implications of these results for fuelwood management interventions, including the importance of context, are discussed.

Keywords:

• Fuelwood
• local communities
• demand
• abundance
• livelihood
• sustainability
• Kalahari

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Rhodes University Research Committee Grant for funding. We thank the San community for its willingness to participate in the study. We also thank Alta De Vos for her assistance with Google Earth and navigation on the GPS and Mike Powell for biomass calculation assistance.