Estudo do estado de conservação da diversidade vegetal da floresta sagrada de Chirindzene

Abstract

The present work made the study of the plant diversity of the Sacred Forest of Chirindzene and its management by the local communities based on traditional conservation practices. To achieve its objectives, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques were used, which incorporated both phytosociological methods and qualitative ethnobotanical studies, (Campbell & Luckert, (2002), FAO (1989), Martin (1995), Cotton (1996). In this context, it was made the mapping of the forest with the help of GPS where consecutive points were marked around the forest that were 50m apart, obtaining a total area of about 90.0ha and a perimeter of about 4.7 km. Then 76 20x20m squares were set up and within these 2 lxlm sub-squares were demarcated using the Simple Systematic Sampling Method and a survey of the existing plant species was carried out. The DBH and Ht(m) of all woody individuals with DBH>4cm existing in the 20x20m squares were measured and the % herbaceous cover was considered in the lxlm sub-squares and woody individuals with DBH<4cm were counted and noted in the respective sheets. The Supervised Classification Method was used to classify the vegetation into: Forest Area (closed, semi-closed and open), Scrubland and Swamp vegetation, with about 100 species among which 48 herbaceous and 52 woody. These species were grouped into 83 genera and 45 families. The species with the highest tree density are Melanodiscus oblongus, Blighia unijugata, Ficus sp, Crysophyllum viridifolium, Balanites maughamii, Rawsonia lúcida, Strychnos decussata, Tabernaemontana elegans, Strychnos spinosa and Sapium integerrinum. The average density was 666.78 individuals/ha. In the shrub component the species Rawsonia lúcida was the one with the highest value and the average density in this extract was 136.84 individuals/ha The species with high biomass values are: Melanodiscus oblongus, Crysophyllum viridifolium, Ziziphus mucronat, Blighia unijugata and Balanites maughamii. The mean biomass per grid cell was 139.0137 kg/ha, and 150.74kg/ha per species. KRUSKAL-W ALLIS ONE-WAY NONPARAMETRIC ANOVA statistical test, showed there are significant differences between the biomass values. The most frequent species are; Zamioculca zamiifolia (herbaceous), Melanodiscus oblongus , Blighia unijugata , Ficus sp, Crysohyllum viridifolium, Rawsonia lúcida, Salacia elegans (herbaceous) and Strychnos decussata. The Berger and Parker index (D') was 0.83, the Shannon and Wiener index (FT) was 2.85 while the Importance Value index for the different species ranges from 0.23 to 77.38. Local communities use the various species as woody fuel, food, traditional drinks (wild fruits), housing construction, manufacture of domestic utensils, medicinal, among others. Inside the forest there is a "Ganzeleni" altar, where many rituals and cults are performed to request the rains, inaugurate the "canhú" season, combat the plagues and several epidemics and, whenever there are good agricultural yields as a form of gratitude to the spirits of the Matavele/Mataveye family. Hunting and all activities that tend to disturb the ecological balance in a forest are prohibited by traditional rules. There is in Chirindzene a Locality President who is the maximum responsible, assisted by 5 Village Chiefs and their respective Neighbourhood Chiefs. There is also a traditional Chief, a Traditional Authority (Régulo) who is responsible for all the traditional rites and ceremonies, who is followed by the Community Leaders of the Villages. (TRADUÇAO NOSSA)