Project Details
Description (abstract)
This project builds on the experience obtained in an earlier project supported by the Academy of Finland “Trees, agro-forestry and land-use in dryland Africa” (TALDA, 2005-2008) led by Prof. Olavi Luukkanen, and on considerable experience obtained in VITRI’s research cooperation with Sudan and related researcher training since 1982. VITRI’s cooperation with Sudan has to date yielded ten doctoral theses and a number of other scientific publications.
The research on dryland ecology and management carried out in Sudan by VITRI researchers was done in cooperation with local institutional partners, including the Forests National Corporation (FNC), Forestry Research Center, and the Faculty of Forestry, University of Khartoum. Site-specific results have been obtained on topics of local importance, such as nursery and tree planting techniques for desertification control, the performance of indigenous and introduced tree species and various agro-forestry systems, as well as on possibilities to involve local communities in dryland management (see review by Laxen et al. 2005), but issues of global significance such as C sequestration in dryland ecosystems, or the long-term sustainability of agricultural crop and bioenergy production, were not covered previously. However, the institutional partnerships and experimental research sites established by VITRI in Sudan during earlier work are now available for our project. Well-established institutional partnerships between Finland and Sudan now also could facilitate research and researcher training for the benefit of all of dryland Africa, including the countries that are partners in Finnish development cooperation or belong to the greater Horn of Africa region which is stated as a key region for Finnish development policy actions. Researcher training opportunities created with the present project would thus promote further North-South and South-South cooperation.
This project comprises two research parts which constitute the core research for two doctoral students. Firstly, carbon stock and fluxes (status & dynamics) in relation to vegetational changes along time sequence in Acacia senegal-based land-use systems. Secondly, the relationship between carbon storage along spatial and temporal land-use changes and their contribution to the livelihoods of small farmers and forest-adjacnet communities.
The research on dryland ecology and management carried out in Sudan by VITRI researchers was done in cooperation with local institutional partners, including the Forests National Corporation (FNC), Forestry Research Center, and the Faculty of Forestry, University of Khartoum. Site-specific results have been obtained on topics of local importance, such as nursery and tree planting techniques for desertification control, the performance of indigenous and introduced tree species and various agro-forestry systems, as well as on possibilities to involve local communities in dryland management (see review by Laxen et al. 2005), but issues of global significance such as C sequestration in dryland ecosystems, or the long-term sustainability of agricultural crop and bioenergy production, were not covered previously. However, the institutional partnerships and experimental research sites established by VITRI in Sudan during earlier work are now available for our project. Well-established institutional partnerships between Finland and Sudan now also could facilitate research and researcher training for the benefit of all of dryland Africa, including the countries that are partners in Finnish development cooperation or belong to the greater Horn of Africa region which is stated as a key region for Finnish development policy actions. Researcher training opportunities created with the present project would thus promote further North-South and South-South cooperation.
This project comprises two research parts which constitute the core research for two doctoral students. Firstly, carbon stock and fluxes (status & dynamics) in relation to vegetational changes along time sequence in Acacia senegal-based land-use systems. Secondly, the relationship between carbon storage along spatial and temporal land-use changes and their contribution to the livelihoods of small farmers and forest-adjacnet communities.
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 01/01/2009 → 31/12/2012 |