Landscape Restoration in Southern Africa:
The benefits and drivers of changes in the
density of trees on farms in Malawi
G Kundhlande and BI Nyoka
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Introduction
• Trees are under severe threat in Malawi with an average
rate of deforestation of about 30 000 hectares per year.
• Tree loss is more severe in parts of southern and central
Malawi
• The consequences of depletion of trees are:
– Land degradation
– Reduced soil fertility and reduction in agricultural production
– Reduced supplies of firewood and timber for various uses
– Reduction in availability of fruits and other natural products
– Reduction in ecosystem services (e.g., protection of watersheds,
shade for humans and livestock)
– Loss of biodiversity

Tree cover loss and land degradation
Typical landscape in Malawi

Introduction (cont.)
• Efforts have been made to encourage farmers to
plant trees, encourage sustainable use and
conservation of trees, to help depletion of trees
• ICRAF and other stakeholders have been
promoting:
– adoption of agroforestry and other tree based
ecosystem approaches to help improve soil fertility,
increase availability of fruits, increase supply timber,
fuelwood and fodder for livestock
– Improved management of woodlands and sustainable
utilisation of forest reserves

Introduction (cont.)
• However, taking to scale tree based ecosystem
approaches has been hindered by many factors
including:
– Labour intensity of planting and managing trees
– Lack of knowledge on tree management
– Lack of access to high quality germplasm
– Ecological conditions challenging for establishment of
planted trees
– The long wait in most cases it takes before farmers realise
benefits from protecting, planting and managing trees,
– Ill-defined tenure rights to land and trees
– Lack of local level natural resource management
regulations and enforcement mechanisms

Introduction (cont.)
• In the past decade more farmers and
communities are managing to increase tree
cover on their farmland and on community
controlled lands (preliminary results, as the
mapping component of the current project
established.
• This increase in tree come is as a result in part
due to programs promoting tree planting, and
also due to farmers protecting and managing
naturally regenerated trees

Introduction (cont.)
• There is growing focus on FMNR/ assisted
regeneration for increasing tree cover
• Many farmers are already familiar with maintaining
trees on crop land
– Historically, farmers maintained selected trees on or
around their crop land due to their ability to enhance
soil fertility, act as boundary markers or fence, provide
shade for humans and animals, act as windbreak, winds,
provide fodder or fruit
• There is need to better understand the motivations
of farmers for protecting and managing tree
regrowth and other enabling factors so that we can
facilitate the up-scaling and out-scaling

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration
• ICRAF and WRI are undertaking a study to assess the
spatial extent for FMNR and to explore the drivers
for adoption in Malawi
• Study involves mapping of tree densities on farms in
selected districts, a household survey and focus
group discussions to explore drivers of adoption
• This presentation provides preliminary information
from focus group discussions (accompanying
presentation by WRI provides some preliminary
results from the mapping exercise)

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
• Tree Regeneration: Species Choice
• We found trees of different sizes in the same fields
which point to the fact that FMNR is a continuous
process.
• Trees are nurtured as they appear on farm.
• Trees are regenerated from either seed from the soil
seed bank or shooting from stumps or roots.
• Both indigenous and exotic tree species are being
regenerated on farm.
• The occurrence of exotic species indicates that tree
planting is also actively pursued by farmers

Tree Regeneration: Species Choice
Both exotic and
indigenous tree species
are being regenerated
Trees found on farms are of
different ages indicating that
regeneration is not a one-off
event

Tree Based Ecosystems Approaches
• In Balaka district (Shire valley), 36 tree species
were found on farms of which 6 were exotic
• In Dowa district, 29 tree species were found on
farms of which 4 were exotic.
• Most common indigenous species regenerated
are: Piliostigma thonningii, Lonchocarpus spp.,
Markhamia spp., Combretum spp., Strychnos
spp., Annona senegalensis, Dichrostachys
cenerea, Brachystagia spp.

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
District Average farm
/plot size
Average
number of
trees/ ha
Dowa 0.6 15
Balaka 0.5 10
Blantyre 0.4 8

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration
• Motivations for farmers
• From Focus Group Discussions held with farmers
in the districts of Dowa, Balaka and Blantyre the
following were indicated to be the motivations
for protecting and managing trees on farmland
for those farming households that do:
– Enhancing soil fertility in order to increase
agricultural production
– Help to prevent soil erosion and land degradation

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
Field with Faidherbia albida trees Land with conservation structures and trees

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
• Providing firewood
Firewood obtained from pruning trees in crop field

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
• Providing timber for construction of dwellings
• Providing timber for construction of sheds for tobacco curing
Tobacco curing structures

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
• Other factors cited as making facilitate or hinder
farmers from protecting and managing tree
regrowth:
– Availability of support (knowledge, skills, planting
material and equipment) from NGOs, Extension officers
– Presence of local by-laws and enforcement mechanisms
to prevent actions of other members of the community
from interfering damaging trees

Drivers of Adoption of FMNR/ Assisted
Regeneration (cont.)
• Low cost of FMNR/ assisted regeneration – no
requirement for managing nurseries and out-
planting
• Protect and manage trees which readily regenerate
even conditions with low and erratic rainfall.
• Hindrances
• Theft of trees and tree products (wood, fruits)
• Sometimes those who harvest trees especially in
communal lands, even dig up stumps and roots
(common sources of regenerants)

Thank you