Browsing by Author "Tenga, John Jasper"

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Land use systems change and its influence on people’s livelihood in South Eastern Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2006) Tenga, John Jasper
A study was carried out in South Eastern Tanzania to evaluate spatial and temporal changes that have occurred over a period of 40 years in land use systems and their influence on people’s livelihood. Field survey, remote sensing and GIS techniques were employed to assess land use systems dynamics. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information on socio-economic activities related to land use systems change. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS and EXCEL programmes. The results indicate that land use systems in the study area vary spatially across geomorphic units in terms of patterns and degree of change. Between 1965 and 2004 areas under fallow bushland, fallow bushed grassland, reserved wooded grassland and reserved woodland decreased as a result of increasing area under agricultural land use systems. Geomorphic and soil characteristics are the major biophysical factors influencing dominant land use system pattern and change in the study area. Demographic change, land tenure and farming practices were the socio-economic drivers of the observed land use systems change. Land use systems change has influenced the people’s livelihood in the study area by increased household income. Increase of cultivated land with tree crops correlated significantly with price of cashewnut (R = 0.8582, P<0.05) and gross income (R = 0.8396, P<0.05) whereas cultivated land with annual crops correlated negatively with market accessibility (R = 0.8906, P<0.05). In view of observed land use systems dynamics, further research is recommended to come up with comprehensive policy guidelines to check the imbalance between the cashewnut and annual crop production to safeguard food security while at the same time conserving the environment.