| 1. |
- Aparicio, Hainner, et al.
(författare)
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Ethnobotanical study of medicinal and edible plants used in Nhamacoa area, Manica province-Mozambique
- 2021
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Ingår i: South African Journal of Botany. - : Elsevier. - 0254-6299 .- 1727-9321. ; 139, s. 318-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ethnobotanical relevanceMiombo woodlands are an important source of food and medicine for rural communities in Mozambique. Despite their importance as a source of livelihood and healthcare, logging for charcoal production and conversion of forest relicts to agricultural land threaten their biodiversity along with the traditional knowledge associated with this vegetation type.Aim of the studyTo document ethnobotanical knowledge and to identify medicinal and economic species that can be used as potential alternative sources of livelihoods for the inhabitants Miombo woodlands in Mozambique.Materials and methodsThis study was carried out in the Nhamacoa area, Macate district of Manica province, Mozambique. Free listing and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect ethnobotanical data. The informants were heads of families randomly selected from the 329 ha of the area of study. Information about medicinal and edible plants, their uses, harvesting practices, management, preparation and possible commercialisation was recorded and voucher specimens were collected. From October 2019 to January 2020, data collection was carried out and later, plant samples were identified. All the collected data was structured in a database and analysed by using the ethnobotanyR package in R.ResultsA total of 106 species from 52 families were reported as medicinal or edible: 55.2% used as food and 43.1% as traditional medicine. It was possible to identify 94 of the voucher specimens collected (90.3% of the botanical collection). Out of 32 uses, 29 were as medicine. The quantitative indices showed different culturally important species and the local markets situation showed the potential for commercialisation. The results of this study indicate that ailments or illnesses in the digestive system, alleviation of wounds and sexual-reproductive system problems are commonly treated with medicinal plants within the area of study.ConclusionsBotanical knowledge, cultural value, utilisation and management practices of 106 plant species were documented. Promoting the planting and commercialisation of some of these species could offer alternative sources of livelihoods or income to the inhabitants of the region, while ensuring exploitation is sustainable. The important role of non-timber forest products and the need to conserve Miombo woodlands relicts for the communities within and around Nhamacoa have been reaffirmed.
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| 2. |
- Berkström, Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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The arrangement of nurseries within a tropical seascape structure fish communities on nearby reefs
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ecosystems are linked by the movement of organisms across habitat boundaries and the arrangement of habitat patches can affect species abundance and composition. In tropical seascapes many coral reef fishes settle in adjacent habitats and undergo ontogenetic migrations to coral reefs as they grow. Few studies have attempted to measure at what distances from nursery habitats these fish migrations (connectivity) cease to exist and how the abundance, biomass and proportion of nursery species change on coral reefs along distance gradients away from nursery areas. The present study examines seascape arrangement, including distances between habitats, and its consequences on connectivity within a tropical seascape in Mozambique using a seascape ecology approach. Fish and habitat surveys were undertaken in 2016/2017 and a thematic habitat map was created in ArcGIS, where cover and distances between habitat patches were calculated. Distance to mangroves, seagrasses and channels were significant for most nursery species and both abundance, biomass and proportion of nursery species were highest in the south of the archipelago, where mangroves were present and decreased with distance to nurseries (mangroves and seagrasses). Some nursery species were absent on reef sites furthest from nursery habitats (80km) and at 8km from seagrass habitats the proportion of nursery/non-nursery species as well as abundance and biomass of seagrass nursery species drastically changed, indicating a threshold distance at which migrations may cease. A similar pattern was found between 3 and 6 km from channels. Threshold distances were found where ontogenetic movement from nurseries to reefs appeared to cease and these distances differed between fish families. Isolation and arrangement of nursery habitats were also found to structure adult fish communities on reefs, highlighting the importance of considering the matrix (sand and deep water) as barriers for fish migration.
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| 3. |
- Crona, Beatrice, et al.
(författare)
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Murky water : Analyzing risk perception and stakeholder vulnerability related to sewage impacts in mangroves of East Africa
- 2009
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Ingår i: Global Environmental Change. - Guildford, Surrey : Butterworth-Heinemann, publ. in cooperation with the United Nations University. - 0959-3780 .- 1872-9495. ; 19:2, s. 227-239
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coastal cities in East Africa are growing rapidly and consequently there is a rapid increase in urban sewage production, putting added pressure on already strained treatment systems. As a result, peri- urban mangroves are receiving extensive amounts of sewage but very little is know as to the ecological and societal consequences of this. However, UNEP among others advocate the use of low-cost, natural sewage treatment technology whenever possible and mangroves have been suggested as useful second stage biofilters. Because of the high resource dependency in many peri-urban coastal communities in East Africa, it is imperative to investigate potential societal impacts on local communities using sewage impacted peri-urban mangroves. Consequently this paper aims to characterize stakeholder groups currently affected by sewage impacted mangroves and thus also map vulnerabilities across local users in relation to future initiatives to use mangroves as biofilters along the East African coast. As risk perception is an important part of vulnerability, and risk perception related to sewage and pollution in an African setting has been little studied, we also aim to contribute baseline data on risk perception related to pollution across peri-urban populations in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
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| 4. |
- Daw, Tim M., et al.
(författare)
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Elasticity in ecosystem services : exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being
- 2016
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Ingår i: Ecology and Society. - 1708-3087. ; 21:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although ecosystem services are increasingly recognized as benefits people obtain from nature, we still have a poor understanding of how they actually enhance multidimensional human well-being, and how well-being is affected by ecosystem change. We develop a concept of ecosystem service elasticity (ES elasticity) that describes the sensitivity of human well-being to changes in ecosystems. ES Elasticity is a result of complex social and ecological dynamics and is context dependent, individually variable, and likely to demonstrate nonlinear dynamics such as thresholds and hysteresis. We present a conceptual framework that unpacks the chain of causality from ecosystem stocks through flows, goods, value, and shares to contribute to the well-being of different people. This framework builds on previous conceptualizations, but places multidimensional well-being of different people as the final element. This ultimately disaggregated approach emphasizes how different people access benefits and how benefits match their needs or aspirations. Applying this framework to case studies of individual coastal ecosystem services in East Africa illustrates a wide range of social and ecological factors that can affect ES elasticity. For example, food web and habitat dynamics affect the sensitivity of different fisheries ecosystem services to ecological change. Meanwhile high cultural significance, or lack of alternatives enhance ES elasticity, while social mechanisms that prevent access can reduce elasticity. Mapping out how chains are interlinked illustrates how different types of value and the well-being of different people are linked to each other and to common ecological stocks. We suggest that examining chains for individual ecosystem services can suggest potential interventions aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable ecosystems while mapping out of interlinkages between chains can help to identify possible ecosystem service trade-offs and winners and losers. We discuss conceptual and practical challenges of applying such a framework and conclude on its utility as a heuristic for structuring interdisciplinary analysis of ecosystem services and human well-being.
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| 5. |
- Eggertsen, Linda, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Where is the grass greenest? Influence of seascape structure and marine protected areas on fish distribution patterns in a seagrass-dominated landscape
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Ingår i: Ecography. - 0906-7590 .- 1600-0587.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tropical seagrass beds are critical habitats for many resident- and nursery fish species. While numerous studies have explored factors that structure reef fish assemblages, few have investigated the relative influence of multiple factors at fine- and large spatial scales as well as MPAs on seagrass fish. To understand which are the most important factors structuring fish assemblages in tropical seagrass beds, and how this is related to life history of species, we investigated fish distribution patterns at 20 sites in 13 different seagrass beds across the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique. Using boosted regression tree modelling, we assessed the influence of fine-scale variables (seagrass meadow characteristics) and seascape variables (distance to adjacent habitats) on abundance of four nursery taxa (Lutjanus fulviflamma, Lethrinus spp., Scarus ghobban and Gerres spp.) and two resident species (Pelates quadrilineatus and Leptoscarus vaigiensis). We found that seascape variables were generally more important than seagrass characteristics, and that the influence of different variables was highly taxon-specific. Fish distribution patterns in seagrass-dominated seascapes were related to life history traits of the species; nursery fish taxa were negatively correlated with distance to adult habitats, while resident species occurred in higher abundances far from reefs. Proximity to mangroves was important for taxa that utilised mangroves in addition to seagrass as nurseries. Most seascape variables influenced fish abundances on a large spatial scale (km). The influence of protected areas was taxon-specific, with stronger effects on resident species than on nursery species, with geographical placement shadowing potential effects of protection on fish abundance. Our results indicate that protection efforts in seagrass-dominated seascapes can have varying impacts on fish distribution, depending on the geographical location of the reserve. This highlights the importance of considering seascape arrangement and the ecology of targeted species for conservation and marine spatial planning in seagrass-dominated systems.
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| 6. |
- Eggertsen, Linda, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Where the grass is greenest in seagrass seascapes depends on life history and simple species traits of fish
- 2022
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Academic Press. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; 266
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tropical seagrass meadows are critical habitats for many fish species, yet few studies have investigated the influence of multiple scale-dependent factors and marine protected areas on seagrass fish species of differing life histories. We assessed the influence of fine-scale seagrass meadow characteristics and seascape-scale variables on the abundance of fish in a seagrass-dominated seascape in the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique, particularly examining patterns of nursery- vs. resident species as well as mobile- vs. sedentary species. We found that fish distribution patterns in this seagrass-dominated seascape were dependent on species’ life history characteristics; nursery taxa showed lower abundance in seagrass meadows further from adult reef habitats, while resident species within seagrass meadows occurred in higher abundances far from reefs. For taxa utilizing both mangroves and seagrass meadows as nursery habitat, proximity to mangroves was an important factor. Fish abundances were generally influenced by variables at the seascape scale (km), while sedentary species were predominantly influenced by area variables, and smaller seascapes (<500 m in radius) better explained distribution patterns. The influence of marine protected areas was taxon-specific, with the strongest effects of protection on resident species. Our results indicate that protection efforts in seagrass-dominated seascapes can have varying impacts on fish distribution, depending on the life history of the species present, and the geographical placement of the reserve within the seascape. Further, we suggest that simple species attributes can be utilised to describe generalized abundance patterns of fish in seagrass seascapes.
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| 7. |
- Galafassi, Diego, et al.
(författare)
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Stories in social-ecological knowledge co-creation
- 2018
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Ingår i: Ecology and Society. - 1708-3087. ; 23:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transformations in social-ecological systems to overturn poverty and ecosystem degradation require approaches to knowledge synthesis that are inclusive and open to creative innovation. In this paper we draw on interviews with participants and in-depth process observation of an iterative knowledge co-creation process in Kenya and Mozambique that brought together scientists, community representatives, government representatives and practitioners with expertise or experience of poverty and/or coastal natural resource use and management. We analyze the communicative spaces opened by techniques of system diagrams and future scenarios and provide a rich account of the emergent process of developing a “shared conceptual repertoire” as a basis for effective communication and knowledge synthesis. Our results highlight the difficulties of challenging dominant narratives and the creative potential that exists in reflecting on their underpinning assumptions. In our analysis stories and lived experiences emerged as key means shaping the construction of shared concepts and ideas. We conclude by outlining the implications for designing knowledge co-creation processes that support the task of devising systemic interventions robust to a range of future scenarios. This includes embracing the role of stories in generating shared meanings and opening up spaces for exploration of knowledge assumptions embedded in intervention narratives.
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| 8. |
- Gullström, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Blue Carbon Storage in Tropical Seagrass Meadows Relates to Carbonate Stock Dynamics, Plant–Sediment Processes, and Landscape Context : Insights from the Western Indian Ocean
- 2018
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Ingår i: Ecosystems (New York. Print). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-9840 .- 1435-0629. ; 21:3, s. 551-566
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Globally, seagrass ecosystems are considered major blue carbon sinks and thus indirect contributors to climate change mitigation. Quantitative estimates and multi-scale appraisals of sources that underlie long-term storage of sedimentary carbon are vital for understanding coastal carbon dynamics. Across a tropical–subtropical coastal continuum in the Western Indian Ocean, we estimated organic (Corg) and inorganic (Ccarb) carbon stocks in seagrass sediment. Quantified levels and variability of the two carbon stocks were evaluated with regard to the relative importance of environmental attributes in terms of plant–sediment properties and landscape configuration. The explored seagrass habitats encompassed low to moderate levels of sedimentary Corg (ranging from 0.20 to 1.44% on average depending on species- and site-specific variability) but higher than unvegetated areas (ranging from 0.09 to 0.33% depending on site-specific variability), suggesting that some of the seagrass areas (at tropical Zanzibar in particular) are potentially important as carbon sinks. The amount of sedimentary inorganic carbon as carbonate (Ccarb) clearly corresponded to Corg levels, and as carbonates may represent a carbon source, this could diminish the strength of seagrass sediments as carbon sinks in the region. Partial least squares modelling indicated that variations in sedimentary Corg and Ccarb stocks in seagrass habitats were primarily predicted by sediment density (indicating a negative relationship with the content of carbon stocks) and landscape configuration (indicating a positive effect of seagrass meadow area, relative to the area of other major coastal habitats, on carbon stocks), while seagrass structural complexity also contributed, though to a lesser extent, to model performance. The findings suggest that accurate carbon sink assessments require an understanding of plant–sediment processes as well as better knowledge of how sedimentary carbon dynamics are driven by cross-habitat links and sink–source relationships in a scale-dependent landscape context, which should be a priority for carbon sink conservation.
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| 9. |
- Jones, Benjamin L., 1991-, et al.
(författare)
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Human micronutrient provision by seagrass fisheries outperform coral reefs in a malnourished region
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Blue foods can help tackle hunger by providing rich sources of micronutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc. Here, we used a novel index of nutrient multifunctionality to assess the micronutrient contributions of fish species across key components of the tropical seascape along a 3000-km stretch of coastline in East Africa. We found that micronutrient multifunctionality varied significantly throughout the tropical seascape, and that the average seagrass-associated fish is more nutritious than a reef-associated fish. The role of seagrass meadows in provisioning high levels of multiple micronutrients relative to coral reefs becomes substantial when we subset the fish communities to include only those species that are high value and targeted in the region. Key fisheries species were far more likely to occur in seagrass meadows than on coral reefs, including those that are both fished and protected, which, when coupled with overall higher per capita micronutrient content, positions seagrass meadows as an unrecognized reservoir of micronutrients to support human health.
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| 10. |
- Massuanganhe, Elídio A., et al.
(författare)
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Deltaic coasts under climate-related catastrophic events - Insights from the Save River delta, Mozambique
- 2015
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Ingår i: Ocean and Coastal Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0964-5691 .- 1873-524X. ; 116, s. 331-340
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The deltaic coast of the Save River is characterized by mangrove wetland, one of the most important coastal ecosystems in Mozambique. This ecosystem provides direct services to the neighbouring communities and contributes to the productivity of the marine ecosystem. This region has, however, been hit by recurrent catastrophic events that have caused negative impacts on the ecosystem and in people's lives, posing challenges for its management. In this article we use this area as a case study to structure and propose an interactive and integrated approach for coastal zone management under recurrent climate-related catastrophic events. Our results show a need for systematic interaction between the decision makers (at the different levels) and the communities to set up adaptive measures for climate-related events. Also, we noticed that the presence of the neighbouring communities is a factor to capitalize on the adaptation activities by maximizing their participation as active actors in the process. Therefore, we conclude that a continuous process of adaptation and preparedness to climate-related catastrophic events (focused on both social and ecological systems) constitutes a leverage variable to be used for sustainable management of the coastal zones.
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| 11. |
- Mubai, Marlino Eugénio, et al.
(författare)
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The sacred and climate change : Local perceptions from KaNyaka island in Mozambique
- 2023
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Ingår i: Climate Risk Management. - 2212-0963. ; 42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Small islands are highly dependent on their natural endowments. Because of this dependency, they are more vulnerable to climate change. This paper builds on the assumption that a better understanding of the meaning of climate change in specific local contexts (from localized perspectives) opens up possibilities for climate change adaptations. Based on literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and forum theatre performances, the paper provides various perceptions of climate change effects from KaNyaka Island in Mozambique. It endeavors to further build the case for the integration of everyday-life experiences and observations of environmental processes in developing collective responses to climate change. The study does so by looking at the way island inhabitants, who are particularly vulnerable to climate change, perceive this phenomenon. The paper argues that the KaNyaka residents are part of local ecologies in which physical and spiritual worlds are entangled in everyday life. It also avers that for a better understanding and response to the adverse effects of climate change on the island, scientists at large must approach local communities as co-producers of knowledge. This relational approach allows the incorporation of worldviews that have been key in sustaining enfolding relationships between people and local ecology. It concludes that this approach opens the possibility of adaptation to climate change as an embedded socio-environmental phenomenon.
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| 12. |
- Pereira, Laura M., et al.
(författare)
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The living infinite: Envisioning futures for transformed human-nature relationships on the high seas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Marine Policy. - 0308-597X .- 1872-9460. ; 153, s. 105644-105644
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We find ourselves at a critical crossroads for the future governance of the high seas, but the perceived remoteness of the global ocean creates a psychological barrier for people to engage with it. Given challenges of overexploitation, inequitable access and other sustainability and equity concerns, current ocean governance mechanisms are not fit-for-purpose. This decade offers opportunities for direct impact on ocean governance, however, triggering a global transformation on how we use and protect the half of our planet requires a concerted effort that is guided by shared values and principles across regions and sectors. The aim of the series of workshops outlined in this paper, was to undertake a futures thinking process that could use the Nature Futures Framework as a mechanism to bring more transformative energy into how humans conceptualise the high seas and therefore how we aim to govern the ocean. We found that engaging with the future through science fiction narratives allowed a more radical appreciation of what could be and infusing science with artistic elements can inspire audiences beyond academia. Thus, creative endeavours of co-production that promote and encourage imagination to address current challenges should be considered as important tools in the science-policy interface, also as a way to elicit empathetic responses. This workshop series was a first, and hopefully promising, step towards generating a more creative praxis in how we imagine and then act for a better future for the high seas.
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| 13. |
- Pereira, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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The Living Infinite
- 2022
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Ingår i: Vector. - 0505-0448.
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 14. |
- Pereira, Laura, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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The living infinite : Envisioning futures for transformed human-nature relationships on the high seas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Marine Policy. - 0308-597X .- 1872-9460. ; 153
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We find ourselves at a critical crossroads for the future governance of the high seas, but the perceived remoteness of the global ocean creates a psychological barrier for people to engage with it. Given challenges of over-exploitation, inequitable access and other sustainability and equity concerns, current ocean governance mech-anisms are not fit-for-purpose. This decade offers opportunities for direct impact on ocean governance, however, triggering a global transformation on how we use and protect the half of our planet requires a concerted effort that is guided by shared values and principles across regions and sectors. The aim of the series of workshops outlined in this paper, was to undertake a futures thinking process that could use the Nature Futures Framework as a mechanism to bring more transformative energy into how humans conceptualise the high seas and therefore how we aim to govern the ocean. We found that engaging with the future through science fiction narratives allowed a more radical appreciation of what could be and infusing science with artistic elements can inspire audiences beyond academia. Thus, creative endeavours of co-production that promote and encourage imagi-nation to address current challenges should be considered as important tools in the science-policy interface, also as a way to elicit empathetic responses. This workshop series was a first, and hopefully promising, step towards generating a more creative praxis in how we imagine and then act for a better future for the high seas.
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