Abstract:
Uluguru Mountains are dominated by different forestland tenure regimes, but is not known
which one has more positive influence on forest condition and community livelihoods. This
study was conducted with the objective of assessing their influence on forest condition and
community livelihoods. Data were collected through forest inventory, participatory rural
appraisal and questionnaire survey. Microsoft excel was used to analyse inventory data.
Livelihoods data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study
showed that for the montane vegetation, state regime (Uluguru Nature Reserve) had higher
stocking (volume 1233m3/ha; basal area 78m2/ha; density 777 stems/ha) compared to
communal regime (Chief Kingalu Sacred Forest) with volume 798m3/ha; basal area
49m2/ha; density 1020 stems/ha. For the miombo vegetation, corporate/private (Tangeni
Roman Catholic Church Forest Reserve) had higher stocking (volume 122m3/ha; basal area
27m2/ha and density 2573 stems/ha) compared to communal regime (Misumba Village
Forest Reserve) with volume 23m3/ha; basal area 10.8m2/ha and density 4200 stems/ha.
The most prominent tenure regime with regard to contribution to livelihoods capitals was
the state. Financial capital as the surrogate livelihoods indicator was enabled or constrained
by a number of socio-economic and institutional factors. Enabling socio-economic factors
included market demand, hunger duration and household size whereas constraining socioeconomic
factors included education level, distance from homestead to the forest, land size
and sex of head of household. Enabling institutional factor was rule violation. Constraining
institutional factors included prohibition from entering the forest and forestland tenure
insecurity. The study concludes that, state regime has successfully improved forest
condition and livelihoods compared to other tenure regimes. It recommends that forest
inventory should be conducted at predetermined intervals together with insuring tenure
security and initiation of alternative source of income to the local people.
