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LevasForest, Miombo Forest, Mozambique
The LevasForest Cheringoma district is part of the Miombo woodlands, a vast region of tropical grasslands, savannas and shrubland home to some 85,00 plant species, including 300 trees, a diverse range of wildlife and millions of people who depend on the woodlands for their livelihoods and way of life.
Managing forests sustainably
Since 2005, LevasForest has operated a native forest concession made up of 46 000 hectares in the Miombo woodland managed according to the principles of FSC- certified sustainable forestry. The company follows low impact harvest cycles that extract approximately 5000 m3 of wood over 2 350 ha every 20 years. This means that only one tree per hectare is harvested annually, which allows time for the forest to recover.
LevasForest also monitors animal distribution and movement with strategically placed cameras on their concession and has identified multiple rare, threatened and endangered species. The company's highly replicable management model works closely with the Mozambican government to promote sustainable forestry. The program upholds and promotes forest management models that are support the Miombo woodlands complex ecosystems including trees, wildlife, and people, on their concession and beyond.
LevasForest workers taking stock of the trees that in the Miombo Forest
LevasForest forest concessions in Mozambique
Supporting local development
LevasForest employs over 260 local people to manage their 46 000 hectare concession and invests in education, health care and housing for its employees and the wider community.
The company has launched educational programs in local schools to raise awareness about the rich fauna and flora of the region and importance of protecting the natural ecosystems. Farmers receive training on agroforestry techniques that improve food production and soil quality while simultaneously creating landscapes that are more resistant to the spread of wildfires. LevasForest also employs teams of rangers to protect local biodiversity from illegal activities that take place in the forest.
LevasForests concession map is also viewable by clicking here.
Did you know?
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According to the U.N FOA, 78% of Mozambique is covered by natural forests and other woody vegetated areas.
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In total, between 1990 and 2010, Mozambique lost 10.0% of its forest cover, or around 4,356,000 ha.
- According to Mongabay, Mozambique's forests contain 1,692 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
- Mozambique has some 1167 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.5% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.7% are threatened.
Learn more about Mozambican forestry
Learn more about LevasForest's operations by watching this video here.
Discover how LevasForest is protecting biodiversity in their concession by reading this newsletter.
Learn how Gorongosa National Park is reforesting itself by planting trees and other agroforestry crops like coffee and cashews by reading this Mongabay article.