Camelthorn seed planting successful

COMMUNITY members of the N#a Jaqna Conservancy and Community Forest in the western Tsumkwe area joined forces with the Directorate of Forestry and its community forestry advisors to boost the natural regeneration of camelthorn (Acacia erioloba) trees in their area.

M’kata villagers and children of the M’kata Primary School sowed seeds on over 100 plots in the community forest area just before the start of the rainy season.
The sites were chosen due to the lack of natural regeneration there. Although there are a number of very old camelthorn trees in the area, almost no younger trees could be found.
The Conservancy and Community Forestry Committee of N#a Jaqna initiated the direct seeding trial. It aims to find out how the natural generation process can be supported under given conditions. Staff from the Forestry Directorate advised the villagers on the set-up of the trial and will closely supervise the results.
‘If the direct seeding turns out to be successful and new seedlings grow in the area, the Forestry authority needs to assist in fire management measures to prevent the destruction of the new trees by wildfires,’ the German Development Service (DED) said in a statement last week.
According to FAO statistics, Namibia loses about 80 000 hectares – almost one per cent – of its forests every year.
Trees are chopped down for building material and firewood, are harvested illegally or killed by veld fires.
Growing a tree, on the other hand, is very difficult and takes a long time. Trees provide shade, food and fodder, store water and carbon dioxide and cater for various other needs of people and wildlife, thus measures to support their regeneration are necessary.