Abstract

A study was undertaken to investigate the influence of stump diameter and stump height on the coppice effectiveness in relation to interspecific variation. The overall objective was to provide an understanding of the coppicing ability of the selected key miombo species in order to provide a basis for sustainable management of the species. A total of 102 stumps were observed. Coppice effectiveness results varied among the key tree species withBrachystegia longifolia and Isoberlinia angolensis having the highest number of coppice shoots (9.8 ± 2.6) and 7.5 ± 1.6) and the least being Julbernadia paniculata (4.2 ± 1.3). High coppice effectiveness indicates a greater recruitment potential for miombo species. The study has revealed that the coppicing ability of miombo trees is species dependent. The results therefore suggest that management of miombo species should be species specific rather than holistic. The research has also provided a model for planning when cutting of the aforementioned miombo species for charcoal production in terms of the diameter classes that provide high coppice effectiveness.

Key words: Coppice effectiveness, sustainable management, regeneration.