Land use systems change and its influence on people’s livelihood in South Eastern Tanzania
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Date
2006
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
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.
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Keywords
Land use systems, South Eastern Tanzania