Institute of Resource Assessment

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Browsing Institute of Resource Assessment by Subject "Agricultural ecology"

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    Agro-ecosystems’ resilience to damage: determination of index of susceptibility to climate change in mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2015) Shirima, Kelvine
    This study assesses maize-coffee-banana agro-ecosystems’ resilience to damage on the southern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It identifies agronomic practices and assessing their impacts on agro-ecosystems’ resilience; examine the socio-economic status of the farmers in the region and its impacts on agro-ecosystems; and examine the agro-ecosystems’ natural resilience and assess socio-ecological susceptibility index to the impacts of climate change. About 400 households was covered in this survey with response rate of 97%.Farmers were asked on their farming practices and systems, key informants and transect walk was also employed in gathering necessary information. Study was carried out at a specific designed transect for a selected part of Kilimanjaro region between Kisangesangeni-Miwaleni (700 m.a.s.l) and Makunduchi/Kirua Vunjo (1600 m.a.s.l) of about 21.7 km long and 2km wide southern part of Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi rural district. The study shows a significant variation in agronomic practices with altitude and lack of sufficient agro-ecosystem resilience framing like conservation agriculture including agro-forestry, conservation tillage, contouring and terracing, mulching, intercropping, and fallowing to mention few; pest and disease control, soil conservation infrastructure, and off farm diversification was also a key challenge to farmers. Parameters like drought frequency, number of household dependants, social safety nets, off farm contribution, possession of land title, wood usage as cooking energy, access to extension services, fallowing practice, farm acreage possession per household, and response to drought cases have been included in socio-ecological susceptibility index computation. Because of variation over altitude the susceptibility also vary with altitude.Recommendations have been given like creating good adaptation options which includes imposing and establishment of traditional and non-traditional high value crops as well as facilitating social safety nets necessary for household income diversification.
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    Comparative analysis of economic return between forest plantation and agriculture ecosystems services in Tanzania: the case of smallholder farmers in Mufindi District
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2016) Kasmir, Glory Fortunatus
    Currently, plantation forestry and agriculture are the main competing land use practices in the Mufindi District, Tanzania. In order of making the choices for allocation of land resource which becomes increasingly scarce, it is important to analyse economic values of ecosystem services from each land use compare and make informed decision making for land allocation. There is generally limited knowledge on economically benefit comparisons between plantation forest and agricultural use practices by smallholder farmers who form the majority of land use. The focus of this study, therefore, was to attempt to fill this knowledge gap. Specifically the study evaluated economic benefits of land use profitability between plantation forests and agriculture. Data was collected using household interviews, focus group discussion, key informants, physical observation and forest inventory. Structured questionnaire and checklist was used to collect data. Qualitative data were analysed by content method while quantitative data were through descriptive statistics. The average land size owned by farmers was 9.7 and 8.3 acres in the Ifwagi and Nundwe village respectively. Most of the arable land 54.5.8% and 47.7.7% in the Ifwagi and Nundwe village respectively was allocation for forests plantation. Timber, firewood, poles were the main ecosystem goods from the plantation forests while maize grain, beans, wheat grain and Irish potatoes were goods obtained from agriculture. Economic viability analysis through Net Present Value NPV, Internal Rate of Return, and Benefits Cost Ratio showed that both forest plantation and agricultural project were viable projects. However, the Irish potatoes, agriculture project had the highest 854,545 Tshs NPV, hence can be selected as the most profitable project, maize 539,546 Tshs, pine (forest plantation) 419,147 Tshs, wheat 392,727 Tshs and beans 353,637 Tshs. Therefore, it is economically more viable to allocate more land to Irish potatoes agricultural crops because it pays more than a forest plantation.
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    Gender analysis of household adaptation strategies to food shortage in Magu district, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2015) Zacharia, Chriphord
    Food insecurity and shortage is a major development problem that is caused by countless factors in the global, regional, national and local spheres of human life. Several efforts have been put in place to alleviate food shortage globally, nationally and even locally. Despite these efforts, the situation continues to prevail and sometimes even increase in the contemporary human society. It is therefore imperative that food insecurity gets addressed appropriately. Small scale farmers, particularly rural women, play a vital role in food production especially through subsistence farming. However, their households are major casualties of food insecurity despite their efforts in food production. Through using a modified framework from sustainable livelihood climate variability and change exerts multiple stresses on biophysical and social economical aspects. The primary stresses include climate risks such as drought, high temperature and flood, which in turn trigger secondary stresses such low yield and low harvest production, which increase vulnerability to socio-economic on gender to access resources of household food security. Successful implementation of the gender household adaptation strategies to food shortage would have to reduce gender vulnerability and improve household food shortage. The study aimed at determining how climate variability impacts households’ food security and then to identify gender differentiation in vulnerability to food shortage and at the same time to establish gender adaptation strategies to household food shortage. The sampling techniques which were used are simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Two villages were sampled purposively with total of 650 households. The sample size was 65 households which formulate ten percent of the population. The Methods used to collect data were surveys, interviews and focus group discussions. The study findings revealed that in order to improve household food shortage there must be gender mainstreaming in adaptation measures to climate change and variability. Therefore policy makers should develop proper and fast drought information delivery systems; they should put emphasis on agricultural production by the use of improved livestock and crop varieties; they should formulate and implement of adaptation policies in the dry areas; and they should empower farmers especially women