Aboveground Deadwood Biomass and Composition Along Elevation and Land-Use Gradients at Mount Kilimanjaro

Deadwood is an important structural and functional component of forest ecosystems and biodiversity. As deadwood can make up large portions of the total aboveground biomass, it plays an important role in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle. Nevertheless, in tropical ecosystems and especially in Africa, quantitative studies on this topic remain scarce. We conducted an aboveground deadwood inventory along two environmental gradients—elevation and land use— at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We used a huge elevation gradient (3690 m) along the southern slope of the mountain to investigate how deadwood is accumulated across different climate and vegetation zones. We also compared habitats that differed from natural forsts in land-use intensity and disturbance history to assess anthropogenic influence on deadwood accumulation. In our inventory we distinguished coarse woody debris (CWD) from fine woody debris (FWD). Furthermore, we calculated the C and nitrogen (N) content of deadwood and how the C/N ratio varied with decomposition stages and elevation. Total amounts of aboveground deadwood ranged from 0.07 ± 0.04 to 73.78 ± 36.26 Mg ha–1 (Mean ± 1 SE). Across the elevation gradient, total deadwood accumulation was highest at mid-elevations and reached a near-zero minimum at very low and very high altitudes. This unimodal pattern was mainly driven by the corresponding amount of live aboveground biomass and the combined effects of decomposer communities and climate. Land-use conversion from natural forests into traditional homegardens and commercial plantations, in addition to frequent burning, significantly reduced deadwood biomass, but not past selective logging after 30 years of recovery time. Furthermore, we found that deadwood C content increased with altitude. Our study shows that environmental gradients, especially temperature and precipitation, as well as different anthropogenic disturbances can have considerable effects on both the quantity and composition of deadwood in tropical forests.

Surviving Amidst COVID-19 Economic Impacts in Tanzania: Learning from Porters and Guides at Kilimanjaro National Park

In Tanzania, tourism industry employed about one million people which is 11.2 percent of total work force in Tanzania. This is due to the fact that Tanzanian is having many distinct natural features that attract tourists such as Kilimanjaro Mountain which is the roof of Africa. Among those one million jobs in tourism industry, porters and guides of Mount Kilimanjaro are included. COVID-19 has impacted tourism industry negatively to the point that the industry was shut down in 2020 and all jobs and employment were cut off. Among the most affected groups are porters and guides in Mount Kilimanjaro their jobs are temporary and depend on seasons. This study sought to explore the economic impact caused by COVID-19 pandemic to porters and guides and the strategies that they used to survive amidst the difficult period of COVID-19 to make a living and fulfill their family’s basic needs. Learning from these porters and guides the study revealed the major negative economic impact they faced was reduction in the individual and family income caused by decrease in the number of visitors due to COVID-19 pandemic. The study further revealed that, there are number of aspects that made them survive amidst COVID-19 pandemic such personal saving, gifts and grants from once served tourists, subsistence allowances from their employers and engaging in other income generating activities such as subsistence small scale farming, sedentary livestock keeping, seeking for alternative employment and engaging in small business and entrepreneurship. The study recommends that porters and guides have to develop some plans that can make them well prepared to cope up with the negative economic impacts that will be caused by any other disasters to the industry in future time. Keywords: COVID-19, Economic Impacts, Porters, Guides

Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses from Two Mountain Regions in Tanzania

Mountain environments and communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Changes in temperature are greater than at lower elevations, which affect the height of the cloud base and local rainfall patterns. While our knowledge of the biophysical nature of climate change in East Africa has increased in the past few years, research on Indigenous farmers’ perceptions and adaptation responses is still lacking, particularly in mountains regions. Semi-structured interviews were administered to 300 farmers on Mount Kilimanjaro (n = 150) and the Udzungwa Mountains (n = 150) in Tanzania across gender and wealth groups. Respondents in both mountains reported not only changes in rainfall and temperature, corresponding with meteorological data, but also a greater incidence of fog, wind, frost, and hailstorms—with impacts on decreased crop yields and increased outbreaks of pests. The most common adaptation strategies used were improved crop varieties and inputs. Wealthier households diversified into horticulture or animal rearing, while poorer households of Hehe ethnicity diversified to labour and selling firewood. Despite being climate change literate and having access to radios, most respondents used Indigenous knowledge to decide on planting dates. Our findings highlight how context and culture are important when designing adaptation options and argue for greater involvement of local stakeholders in adaptation planning using a science-with-society approach. Place-based results offer generalisable insights that have application for other mountains in the Global South.

Checklist of Kilimanjaro grasses shows that both plot and herbarium methods are necessary to record diversity

Does traditional generalist herbarium collecting record grass diversity more effectively than plot-based recording common in ecology? We present a checklist of the Poaceae of Mount Kilimanjaro compiled from two datasets: records from 1646 plots of 0.1ha each made since the 1990s, as well as all the specimens held at K and NHT herbaria. We record a total of 276 species in 90 genera represented by 1510 herbarium collections in both datasets; inclusion of unvouchered observations increases the diversity recorded to 288 species in 94 genera. Seventy four species were recorded only once, either through plots or herbarium collecting. Further unrecorded species are likely to be found. The herbarium and plot datasets proved more different than expected, with only 55% of species recorded by both datasets. The difficulties of grass identification and recognition in the field may have compounded selection biases inherent to both techniques. We urge both general collectors and plant ecologists to broaden their sampling techniques to capture more of the true diversity in ecosystems such as those of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Recreation of various groups of the population by means of difficult routes

This article discusses the impact of hiking on the recreation of the human body as a whole. Analyzed and summarized the practical experience of climbing a group of activists on Mount Kilimanjaro and research of scientists in the field of physical culture and sports, as to the organization and realization of training meetings in mountainous areas, which will effectively and purposefully improve a physical, mental and spiritual health of human, apply various forms and methods of physical education, which is aimed at forming a stable motivation for a healthy lifestyle. In a study called attention to the recreational component, which is aimed at restoring health and efficiency through recreation in the bosom of nature, by means of difficult routes. This type of recreation includes mountaineering, hiking in the mountains, deserts, rafting on mountain rivers. This is not a new category of recreation, but it has some features, namely, the extreme component associated with risk. It requires not only good physical training, but also courage, perseverance, determination. In addition to the recreational component, we were interested to learn about the behavior of participants in the climb to Mount Kilimanjaro, as previously they were involved in other sports or lead a healthy lifestyle, not related hypoxic failure. Thus, in pedagogical observation, participated (n = 17 people.) At different ages and physical fitness, climbing was conducted from 20 to 26 February 2021. During the pedagogical observation, attention was paid to the following indicators: heart rate, pressure, oxygen saturation, air temperature, etc. All the results of the study were reflected in the mountain classification. The paper used methods of analysis and synthesis of scientific, educational and special literature and own observations.

Johannes Rebmann: A Servant of God in Africa Before the Rise of Western Colonialism (second edn)

SummaryJohannes Rebmann, the first European to set eyes on Mount Kilimanjaro, served as a pioneer missionary in East Africa in the mid-nineteenth century, commissioned by the Anglican Church Missionary Society. Lexicography was his main occupation, but he faced several serious challenges: theological and methodological differences with his closest colleague, colonialism and slavery, and personal health problems. The author of this book has himself served in Malawi and participated in the recent English-Chichewa dictionary. Paas uses an impressive number of primary sources, letters and archival materials to paint the picture of Rebmann, his life and work.RÉSUMÉJohannes Rebmann, le premier européen à avoir contemplé le Kilimandjaro, a été un missionnaire pionnier en Afrique de l’Est au milieu du dix-neuvième siècle, envoyé par la société missionnaire de l’Église anglicane. Il s’est principalement consacré à un travail lexicographique, mais il a dû faire face à diverses difficultés sérieuses : des différences d’ordre théologique et méthodologique avec ses plus proches collègues, le colonialisme et l’esclavage, ainsi que des problèmes de santé. L’auteur de cet ouvrage a lui-même servi au Malawi et a participé à l’élaboration du récent dictionnaire Anglais-Chichewa. Paas a consulté un nombre impressionnant de sources de première main, de lettres et d’archives pour dresser le portrait de Rebmann et présenter sa vie et son oeuvre.ZusammenfassungJohannes Rebmann, der erste Europäer der jemals den Kilimandscharo erblickt hatte, diente in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts als Pioniermissionar in Ostafrika; er war ausgesandt von der Missionsgesellschaft der anglikanischen Kirche. Seine Hauptbeschäftigung war die Lexikographie, aber darüber hinaus wurde er mit diversen ernstlichen Herausforderungen konfrontiert: Es gab Unstimmigkeiten zwischen ihm und seinem engsten Mitarbeiter über theologische Ansätze und die Methodik ihrer Arbeit, er befand sich in einem Umfeld von Kolonialismus und Sklaverei, und er geriet persönlich in gesundheitliche Schwierigkeiten. Der Autor dieses Buches hat selbst in Malawi Dienst getan und an dem unlängst erschienenen Wörterbuch auf Englisch-Chichewa mitgearbeitet. Paas verwendet eine bemerkenswerte Zahl an Primärquellen, Briefen und Archivmaterial, um ein Bild von Rebmann, seinem Leben und Werk zu zeichnen.