Forest Resource

Overview  

Mozambique is moderately forested with around 22 percent forest cover, and almost 50 percent of land classified as other wooded land. The majority of forest is open broadleaved forest, with Brachystegia spp. most common, especially in the north and centre of the country. Closed broadleaved forests are primarily montane or sub-montane forests, riverine forests or mangroves. Significant areas of savannah and scrubland also occur. For example, Colophospermum mopane savannah-type forest is dominant over extensive areas, and is a characteristic species of Mozambique. Mozambique has established a modest area of plantations based on Pinus, Eucalyptus and Casuarina species. The country also has a relatively extensive protected areas network with around 7 percent of the country´s forests in conservation reserves.

Forest Types

Geographic Description

The Republic of Mozambique, located on the south-eastern part of Africa, is bounded on the north by Tanzania; on the east by the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean; on the south and southwest by South Africa and Swaziland; and on the west by Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. It occupies a total area of 801 590 km2 between latitudes 10° 27′ and 26° 52′ S and longitudes 30° 12′ and 40° 51′ E. It stretches over 2 500 km along the Indian Ocean from the Republic of South Africa to Tanzania.

With the exception of the zone toward the western border, the land is generally a low-lying plateau of moderate height, descending through a sub-plateau zone to the Indian Ocean. The coastal lowland is narrow in the north but widens considerably as it goes south so that terrain less than 200 meters in elevation makes up about 44 percent of the total land area. Thirteen percent of the country has an elevation more than 1 000 meters, corresponding with the edge of the Central African Plateau along the boundaries with Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. All rivers flow eastward into the Indian Ocean. Some of those that drop over the escarpment edge, such as the Zambeze, have their main catchment areas as far away as Angola.

The climate is subtropical in the south and tropical in the centre and north. July (winter) temperatures average 21° C at Pemba in the north and 18° C at Maputo in the south. January (summer) temperatures average about 27° C along the coast and lower in upland areas. The rainy season extends from October to April. The influence of the southern summer monsoon and the warm Agulhas current provides the entire country with a rainfall generally above 400 mm, in contrast to the desert climate found at the same latitude on the Atlantic coast of Africa. North of parallel 21° S (the Save River) in the coastal lowlands the rainfall is generally between 1 000 and 1 400 mm. More to the south the climate becomes drier with rainfall dropping rapidly from 1 000 mm near the sea to 400 mm or less on the boundary with Zimbabwe. The rainfall in the intermediate altitude zone is usually between 800 and 1 000 mm in the north and slightly higher in the south. In the mountainous areas (particularly Mount Binga in Zambezia Province) rainfall may reach or exceed 1 800 mm.

Ecological Zones

Forest cover Vegetation

The most commonly accepted classification of the vegetation types of Mozambique has been elaborated by J. Gomes Pedro and L. A. Grandvaux (Esboço de reconhecimento ecológico-agricola de Mozambique-Vegetação, 1955) and the types described below follow that classification as adapted by Ferreria de Castro (1978).

Forest Industry

Closed Forests Broadleaved

Sub-hygrophilous forest. This transition forest between the hygrophilous and the xerophylous types occupies relatively small and scattered areas at the foot or on the mountain ridges where the humidity is greater; for example, on the southern and eastern slopes of the Namuli, Milange, Tamassa, Gorongosa and Chimanimani Mountains and on the Mueda Plateau. Throughout the moist humid zone of the country, patches of sub-hygrophylous forest occur. Among the arboreous species that constitute this type of forest, the most prominent are Cordyla africana, Chrysophyllum welwitschii, Bombax rhodognaphalon, Diospyros mespiliformis, Mimusops discolor, Cussonia spicata, Chlorophora excelsa, Croton spp., Kigelia africana, Morus lactea, Markhamia spp., Piptadenia buchananii, Berchemia zenkeri, Ficus spp., Sideroxylon inerme, Schotia spp., Uapaca spp., Vitex spp., etc.

Mountain forest is a close, moist forest composed of high or medium-high trees typical of regions subject to heavy rains and frequent fog. This type of forest is restricted to the Gorongosa and Chimanimani Mountains and several mountains in the highest parts of Zambezia Province. The forest communities are composed of Aphloia myrtifolia, Maesa lanceolata, Curtisia faginea, Rauwolfia inebrians, Conopharyngia stapfiana, Celtis dicica, Widdringtonia whytei, Acacia xiphocarpa, Podocarpus spp., etc.

Gallery forests border the banks of the rivers and streams. It is a climax arboreous association with high value timber. It consolidates the riverbanks and protects them from erosion. The species of these forests vary from north to south and with the altitude. Along the northern rivers predominate Khaya nyasica, Parkia filicoidea, Adina microcephala, Erythrophleum suaveolens, Cleistanthus holtzii, Diospyros mesphiliformis, Pseudocadia zambeziaca, Treculia africana, etc. The largest gallery forests of the north and centre of the country are those along upper courses of the Malema, Lugenda, Lùrio, Mecubúri, Massalo, Rovué and Licungo Rivers. In the south, the gallery forests are normally very much depleted. In certain cases the gallery forests not only occupy the banks, but also have leafy trees in the stream.

Mangroves are composed of shrubs or small trees with scattered tall trees that grow only on the mud banks of the estuaries, along some inlets and on certain coastal islands. In Mozambique they contain the following woody species: Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera cylindrica, Sonneratia alba, Heritiera littoralis and Lumnitzera racemosa. The most important mangroves in Mozambique are those of the estuaries of the Messalo, Zambezi, Pungué, Save, Limpopo and Maputo Rivers.

Forest Map

Open forests Broadleaved

Open forest is composed by particular genera covering relatively large areas and establishing a dominance in many instances. Distinct physiognomies impose upon the xerophilous forest. The most common dominant genera and species are: Brachystegia, Strychnos and Combretaceae, Albizia, Trichilia-Sclerocarya-Uapaca, and Colophospermum mopane.

The dominance of Brachystegia is most common in the central and northern regions of the country, from the coastal plains to the plateau of the interior, going up into the mountains as far as there is soil in which it can grow. The southern limit of the occurrence of Brachystegia is approximately the Limpopo river. Brachystegia may grow in pure stands but, in general, is associated with other tree species such as Isoberlinia globiflora, Pericopais angolensis, Burkea africana, Bridelia micrantha, Cynometra spp., Dalbergia melanoxylon, Swartzia madagascarienses, Milletia stuhlmannii, Combretum spp., Vitex spp., etc. However, the greatest percentage is represented by Brachystegia.

Strychnos or Combretaceae forests are perhaps the second most common after Brachystegia forests. They are composed of species of Combretum, Terminalia (especially T. sericea and T. macroptera) and Pteleopsis (P. myrtifolia). These forests exist over the whole country from the lowest to the highest regions and on very different soil types. They generally grow in the drier regions.

Albizia species are particularly dominant on land formerly cleared for cultivation or for other purposes. Certain Albizia species, mainly A. adianthifolia, are pioneer species. They seem to be more abundant in regions of low altitude, in the north as well as in the south, always occupying very specific areas. In the southern regions they sometimes form small pure stands.

Trichilia species (T. emetica, mainly) and Sclerocarya caffra almost always grow together and may be considered as a single dominance. They predominate in the region south of the Save River.

Uapacaceae are found predominantly in the plateau regions, above 600 metres. Uapaca kirkii grows in pure stands or is associated with other species, mainly the Brachystegia species, and is found in the regions of Alto Niassa, Milange, Malema, etc.

Colophospermum mopane is dominant over extensive areas and is a characteristic species of Mozambique. It is composed of low trees or shrubs, either isolated or in clumps. This formation occupies vast regions in the western part of Mozambique, the northern part of the Limbombo Hills, the region of Pafuri-Changane-Massangena and the southern part of Tete Province. It grows in regions with low rainfall, on sandy or clay soils at various altitudes. This type of open forest has been given the name “dry and thin forest” by some authors.

Savanna forest is composed of tall Gramineae (1.5 to 3.5 m) with sparse, shrubby vegetation and small trees, scattered or in groups. Due to the dominance of Gramineae, fires easily penetrate into this type of vegetation. These forests gradually degrade and end up as steppe vegetation. They generally correspond with a long dry season and low rainfall, coupled with high temperatures.

Other wooded land Shrubs

Some of the “open forest” stands (such as the Colophospermum mopane forest) and most of the “savanna forest” ones have their woody component made up essentially with shrubs and trees less than 5 to 7 metres.

A typically shrubby formation is the one found on dunes and sand bars. Common species are Grewia glandulosa, Euclea natalensis, Diospyros rotundifolia, Cissus quadrangularis, Suriana maritima, Euphorbia spp., Sophora tormentosa, and Scaevola plumieri.

References  

Ferreira de Castro, J. H. (1978). Forest resources in Mozambique and their rational use#A preliminary evaluation. FO:MOZ/76/013 (F03), Project Working Document, FAO, Rome.