Wessels, Konrad JColgan, MSErasmus, BFNAsner, GPTwine, WCMathieu, Renaud SAVan Aardt, JANFisher, JTSmit, IPJ2013-05-272013-05-272013-01Wessels, K.J., Colgan, M.S., Erasmus, B.F.N., Asner, G.P., Twine, W.C., Mathieu, R.S.A., Van Aardt, J.A.N., Fisher, J.T. and Smit, I.P.J. 2013. Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas Environmental Research Letters, vol.8(1), 10pphttp://hdl.handle.net/10204/6761Copyright: IoP Science. This is the definitive version of the work.Wood and charcoal supply the majority of sub-Saharan Africa’s rural energy needs. The long-term supply of fuelwood is in jeopardy given high consumption rates. Using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), we mapped and investigated savanna aboveground biomass across contrasting land uses, ranging from densely populated communal areas to highly protected areas in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa. We combined the LiDAR observations with socio-economic data, biomass production rates and fuelwood consumption rates in a supply–demand model to predict future fuelwood availability. LiDAR-based biomass maps revealed disturbance gradients around settlements up to 1.5 km, corresponding to the maximum distance walked to collect fuelwood. At current levels of fuelwood consumption (67% of households use fuelwood exclusively, with a 2% annual reduction), we calculate that biomass in the study area will be exhausted within thirteen years. We also show that it will require a 15% annual reduction in consumption for eight years to a level of 20% of households using fuelwood before the reduction in biomass appears to stabilize to sustainable levels. The severity of dwindling fuelwood reserves in African savannas underscores the importance of providing affordable energy for rural economic development.enRural energy needsSouth African wood supplyLight detection and rangingLiDARBiomass production ratesSavannasArticleWessels, K. J., Colgan, M., Erasmus, B., Asner, G., Twine, W., Mathieu, R. S., ... Smit, I. (2013). Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6761Wessels, Konrad J, MS Colgan, BFN Erasmus, GP Asner, WC Twine, Renaud SA Mathieu, JAN Van Aardt, JT Fisher, and IPJ Smit "Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas." (2013) http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6761Wessels KJ, Colgan M, Erasmus B, Asner G, Twine W, Mathieu RS, et al. Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas. 2013; http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6761.TY - Article AU - Wessels, Konrad J AU - Colgan, MS AU - Erasmus, BFN AU - Asner, GP AU - Twine, WC AU - Mathieu, Renaud SA AU - Van Aardt, JAN AU - Fisher, JT AU - Smit, IPJ AB - Wood and charcoal supply the majority of sub-Saharan Africa’s rural energy needs. The long-term supply of fuelwood is in jeopardy given high consumption rates. Using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), we mapped and investigated savanna aboveground biomass across contrasting land uses, ranging from densely populated communal areas to highly protected areas in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa. We combined the LiDAR observations with socio-economic data, biomass production rates and fuelwood consumption rates in a supply–demand model to predict future fuelwood availability. LiDAR-based biomass maps revealed disturbance gradients around settlements up to 1.5 km, corresponding to the maximum distance walked to collect fuelwood. At current levels of fuelwood consumption (67% of households use fuelwood exclusively, with a 2% annual reduction), we calculate that biomass in the study area will be exhausted within thirteen years. We also show that it will require a 15% annual reduction in consumption for eight years to a level of 20% of households using fuelwood before the reduction in biomass appears to stabilize to sustainable levels. The severity of dwindling fuelwood reserves in African savannas underscores the importance of providing affordable energy for rural economic development. DA - 2013-01 DB - ResearchSpace DP - CSIR KW - Rural energy needs KW - South African wood supply KW - Light detection and ranging KW - LiDAR KW - Biomass production rates KW - Savannas LK - https://researchspace.csir.co.za PY - 2013 T1 - Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas TI - Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6761 ER -