Abstract:
Chicueia Village has a Sacred Forest of special importance for the goods and services provided by the local community. The forest is being affected by human action, its area is decreasing year after year. The objective of this work is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the Sacred Forest of Chicueia, with the participation of the entire community. In the collection of data the method of rapid rural diagnosis and participatory forest inventory was used. Chicueia village has an estimated population of about 2,074 inhabitants distributed in 421 families. The main economic activities developed are agriculture and cattle raising, small businesses and employment in decreasing order 80, 15, 4 and 1% respectively. The Sacred Forest of Chicueia occupies an area of about 200 hectares. In the forest 14 tree species were identified, of which the most important were Munheredzi, Mugjereje (Albizia adianthifolia), Muonde (Ficus sycumorus), Muchenje (Cussonia Spicata) and Muputiputi (Trema orientalis) and the species that had the lowest volume per ha Mutsungunu (Bridelia micranta), Mudzua (Harrissonia abyssinica), Muhacua (Strychnos cocculoides) and Chitvati (Lecanidiscus fraxinifolius). The total volume found adds up to 42.66 m 3 / ha, which makes up the total population volumes 8,532 m 3. The established regeneration is dominated by five species, which together account for more than 75% of the observed regeneration. They are: Mubswiyo (Bridelia Molis), Mutsaware (Scolopia Zeyheri), Muchenje (Cussonia Spicata), Muputiputi (Trema orientalis) and Munheredzi. During the survey of field data, footprints, feces and footprints of various wild animals were observed, with emphasis on gray kid, striped jackal, black-faced monkey, wild cat, porcupine, savanna rabbit, red squirrel- forest, various snakes, turtles, rats and various birds. The main threats to Mata Sagrada are the exploitation of firewood, itinerant agriculture, uncontrolled burning, construction of residences inside the forest, extraction of construction material, especially stakes, illegal mining and poaching. The measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the Sacred Forest include: (i) the zoning of the community area; (ii) development of sustainable agriculture and livestock; (iii) measures taken for the regeneration, management and rational use of forest and wildlife resources in the forest; (iv) organization of the community and formation of partnerships with the State, HEIs, NGOs, the Private Sector and civil society in general, to promote and support the community in the conservation and sustainable use of the Sacred Forest of Chicueia. (TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)
