Insights on the dynamics of Miombo woody vegetation in Niassa Special Reserve, northern Mozambique

Matola Salimo; Victorino Buramuge; Aide Farão; Aniceto Chauque; Romana Bandeira; Jone Fernando; Ana I. Ribeiro-Barros; Cristina Branquinho; Natasha Ribeiro

doi:10.1071/WF24060

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Insights on the dynamics of Miombo woody vegetation in Niassa Special Reserve, northern Mozambique

Matola Salimo ^A , Victorino Buramuge ^A , Aide Farão ^A , Aniceto Chauque ^A , Romana Bandeira ^A , Jone Fernando ^A , Ana I. Ribeiro-Barros ^B ^C , Cristina Branquinho ^C and Natasha Ribeiro ^A ^B ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Building # 1, PO Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique.

^B Forest Research Center, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, Ed. Ferreira Lapa, Lisbon, 1349-017, Portugal.

^C cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal.

^* Correspondence to: joluci2000@yahoo.com

International Journal of Wildland Fire 34, WF24060 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF24060

Submitted: 3 April 2024 Accepted: 24 March 2025 Published: 25 April 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of IAWF. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

Fire is a key ecological factor in the Miombo woodlands of southern Africa, but its role in tree dynamics has not been fully explored.

Aim

Investigate relationships between fire and forest dynamics and predict Miombo diameter distribution for the year 2033.

Methods

Tree data (growth, recruitment and mortality) were collected (2005, 2009, 2015 and 2019) along a fire frequency (ff) and severity (fs) gradient in 50 permanent plots in Niassa Special Reserve (NSR). A transition matrix was used to forecast forest structure for the year 2033.

Main results

Fire frequency (ff) and severity (fs) classes (low, medium and high) were associated with different tree species assemblages. High ff and fs had varied effects on tree mortality, recruitment, growth and carbon stocks. Julbernardia globiflora had higher mortality rate in high ff plots compared to other tree species. Projections indicated that, despite the regular distribution of diameter, high ff may reduce tree density in young cohorts.

Conclusions

A moderate fire regime is a determinant of sustaining the Miombo dynamics in NSR.

Implications

Fire management action through early dry season controlled burning is needed to prevent the impact of intense late dry season fire.

Keywords: annual periodic increment, biodiversity conservation, carbon stock density, Julbernardia globiflora, mortality, recruitment, transition matrix, tree growth.

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