A tale of two villages: assessing the dynamics of fuelwood supply in communal landscapes in South Africa

摘要: SUMMARY Fuelwood is the dominant source of energy used by most rural households in southern Africa to meet daily domestic requirements. Due limited financial resources, are unable make transition electricity thus they remain dependant on woodlands surrounding their settlements as a cheap energy. Unsustainable fuelwood harvesting due increasing demand result growing human populations may environmental degradation particularly high-density, communal savannah South Africa. Evaluating sustainability current patterns requires an understanding impacts past logging practices establish woodland degradation. This study evaluates from 1992‐2009 structure and species composition two villages located within Kruger Canyons Biosphere Reserve (Mpumalanga Province, Africa). Both (Welverdiend Athol) were similar spatial extent exhibited socioeconomic characteristics. The total wood stock both declined overall(withgreaterlossesseeninWelverdiend)and,in Welverdiend, there also changes structureandspeciesdiversityofthespeciescommonly harvestedforfuelwoodoverthisperiod.Thewoodlands Welverdiend have become degraded no longer produce preferred stem size sufficient quantity or quality. absence negative Athol suggests more sustainable regimes exist because lower population extraction pressure. community has annexed neighbouring unoccupied private land social response scarcity. residents behaved similarly during drought periods. potential for future conflict with conservation areas high if