5 Forest and Veld Products

Download as doc, pdf, or txt
Download as doc, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 4

FOREST AND VELD PRODUCTS

These are both plant and animal products found naturally in an area and harvested by local people
for various purposes ie. food, medicine, building materials etc.
Forest: An area of thick, dense trees, shrubs and bushes covering a large area.
Veld: An open area of grassland with few, scattered trees.
Afforestation: Planting or growing of trees.
Deforestation: This is excessive cutting of trees.
Re-afforestation: Planting of trees in a previously forested area whish now cleared.
Forestry: The science of looking after large protected areas of trees.

MAP SHOWING FOREST RESERVES IN BOTSWANA

EXAMPLES OF FOREST RESERVES IN BOTSWANA


 Kasane forest reserve
 Maikaelelo forest reserve
 Kazuma forest reserve
 Sibuyu forest reserve
 Chobe forest reserve
 Forest Camp Kachikau
 Kasane Forest Extension

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
-Wind breakers -Balance the ecosystem
-Prevent soil erosion -Give out oxygen
-Reduce flooding -Add humus in the soil
-Beautify the environment -Absorb carbon dioxide
-Habitat for some wild animals -Food for animals
-Transpiration for rainfall -Protection from excessive heat
HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT LEAD TO DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS

1
-pollution
-expansion of settlements
-overstocking
-overharvesting of firewood/ forest products
-veld fires
-clearing for agriculture
-construction of infrastructure/ roads/ power lines
-mining/ industries
-lumbering

HOW MISMANAGEMENT OF FORESTS MAY AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT


-Deforestation lead to disappearance or extinction of plant species/ low transpiration/ less
oxygen/
Soil erosion/ flooding/ migration of animals
-Veld fires lead to little or no grass/ bare land/ migration of animals/ loss of habitat
- Pollution leads to imbalance in atmospheric gases/ loss aesthetic value/ health hazard

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF VELD PRODUCTS IN BOTSWANA

-Fewer products due to lack of rainfall, human activities etc.


-Forest and veld products mainly found in North East (phane) and morula in the East and South
East
-Few products in the West but there are some products like sengaparile(devil’s claw),
monepenepe and kgengwe.
-The Okavango area has products like tswii (water lily), mokola palm and motshikiri etc.

COMMERCIALISATION OF VELD PRODUCTS

This refers to veld products that are harvested for the purpose of selling. Examples of veld
products that are harvested for commercial purposes are ;

 Medical plants e.g grapple plant/ devil’s claw/ sengaparile


 Mophane worm/ phane
 Moretlwa/ mogwana
 Mokola
 Natural teas e.g mosukujane, lengana
 Motshikiri and motshikitshane

IMPORTANCE/ BENEFITS OF COMMERCIALISATION OF FOREST AND VELD


PRODUCTS TO STAKEHOLDERS

STAKEHOLDERS – these include all the interested parties in a particular resource or


project e.g Government, Local authorities, Local community, Non Governmental
Organisations / NGO’s / Private sector

 Income generation/employment
 Source of raw materials
 Source of recreation/ tourism
 Foreign exchange
 Industrialization eg. mokola for basketry
 Curbs rural to urban migration

2
 Source of food
 Medicinal use eg. Sengaparile
 Pastures for livestock
 Decoration/ ornaments/ clothing
 Building materials
 Diversification of economy
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF COMMERCIALISATION OF FOREST AND VELD
PRODUCTS
 Overharvesting
 Extinction of some species
 Deforestation
 Veld fires
 Pollution
 Destruction of animal habitat
 Soil erosion
 Imbalance of the ecosystem/ increase in carbon dioxide
 Land degradation
 Global warming

ROLES THAT STAKEHOLDERS CAN PLAY IN THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF


FOREST AND VELD PRODUCTS

NGO’S eg. Thusano Lefatsheng

 Education/ Research
 Protection of endangered plant species/ conservation
 Cultivation of endangered plant species
 Harvesting products in a sound ecological manner
 Financing projects in conservation
 Provide market
 Advertising

GOVERNMENT
-provide legislation/ policies eg. National Conservation Strategy (NCS)
-issuing of permits to gatherers
-issuing of harvesting quotas
-controlling harvesting seasons
-commercial cultivation
-education/ research

LOCAL COMMUNITIES
-selective harvesting
-limit harvesting
-educate each other on proper harvesting methods
-cultivation of plant species
-develop monitoring tools that will set quotas, market products etc

3
4

You might also like