Perceived abundance and cultural-economic use-value of tree species in the Mopane Woodlands, Mopani District, South Africa

Abstract

Identifying the key products of mopane woodlands, the perceived abundance of species, and the associated use values have important implications for rural communities and the sustainable use of mopane woodlands. This study examined local perceptions of tree species abundance and their associated use-values across four communities in the Mopani District, South Africa. The semi-structured questionnaire and key informant interviews were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Friedman test, the Smith Salience Index, Kendall’s W, Pearson correlation, and the Fidelity test. There was a very strong level of agreement (W = 0.83) among the communities regarding the perceived abundance of tree species, and this agreement was statistically significant (χ2 = 19.85, p < 0.05). The Colophospermum mopane, Sclerocarya birrea, and Combretum imberbe are the most perceived abundant species in the study areas and have high value. The tree species with high use-value showed a positive correlation with the perceived abundance of tree species, conforming to the study’s ecological apparency hypothesis. The more apparent species had more use value and perceived abundance.