Characterization of Miombo species used by rural communities as fuelwood in Northern Mozambique

ABSTRACT

The rural population of Mozambique has a strong preference for using native tree species for fuelwoods instead of Eucalyptus wood. The reforestation projects failed to respond to the wishes of consumers who considered eucalyptus wood to be low quality compared to the native species traditionally used by the population. The present study aimed to determine the wood characteristics of Miombo woodland species which are often used as an energy source in Sanga district, northern Mozambique, and then compare the results with those found in the literature on Eucalyptus species used for the same purpose. Chemical, physical, energetic, and thermal properties were analyzed. Among all studied species, U. kirkiana and J. globiflora presented high quality of wood for energy purposes, in Northern Mozambique. These species showed high basic density and extractive contents, which are the characteristics responsible for providing high energy density, longer wood combustion duration, and higher combustion intensity. These last three characteristics are considered of greater importance for the choice of fuelwood by the communities when compared to the Eucalyptus. The Eucalyptus are fast-growing species and are recommended for selecting genotypes with high energy density and favorable combustion parameters in order to introduce new energy planting programs in Mozambique to guarantee the wood supply in a short time and the conservation of natural resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Miombo woodlands
• fuelwood
• energy density
• wood combustion
• combustion parameters

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia, Ensino Superior e Técnico Profisional (MCTESTP-Mozambique) for scholarships for Master’s degree (Process 37.01.2015), the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and Coordenacão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia, Ensino Superior e Técnico Profisional (MCTESTP-Mozambique) [37.01.2015].

Notes on contributors

Jonas Massuque

Jonas Massuque Currently is Junior lecture at Lúrio University and he´s PhD Student in Wood Science and Technology at Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), With experience in Wood Science and Technology, Forest Resources and Forest Engineering, with emphasis on Conservation of Biodiversity, Biomass Energy, Wood and Charcoal Quality.

Maira Reis De Assis

Maira Reis de Assis is researcher on Wood Science and Technology with an emphasis on the physical and mechanical properties of charcoal using non-destructive techniques.

Paulo Fernando Trugilho

Paulo Fernando Trugilho Currently is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Lavras in Lavras/MG, Brazil. With experience in Wood Science and Technology, Forest Resources and Forest Engineering, with emphasis on Biomass Energy, Wood Quality, Wood Physical and Chemical Properties, specifically working on issues related to Wood and Charcoal Quality, Growth stress, Wood Sampling and Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques.