Pastoralists' Perception and Attitude on Invasion of Dichrostachys cinerea (sickle bush) in the Grazing Lands of Monduli District, Tanzania

This study aimed to assess Maasai pastoralists’ perception and attitude towards the spread and impacts of sickle bush (Dichrostachys cinerea) in their grazing lands. The study was conducted in three villages of Monduli district involving 156 randomly sampled households. Thirteen (13) purposively selected key informants (based on their merits) were interviewed and participant observation was also used in data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 20, while qualitative ones were subjected to content analysis. Findings revealed that the current extent of the sickle bush has increased, with over 70% of the respondents proving this. About 82% of respondents revealed that the bush was present in their villages for a long time, although its invading effects have increased. Major reasons for this invasion were reported to include climate change and overgrazing. Furthermore, sickle bush was reported to take over the grazing lands. The bush is perceived as destructive by the Maasai community because it depletes the amount of forage for livestock grazing. It also provides suitable habitats for predators such as lions and enhances conflicts with livestock and humans.

本研究旨在评估马赛牧民对镰荚金合欢（Dichrostachys cinerea）在其放牧地中的扩散态势与影响的认知与态度。本研究于曼杜利区的三个村庄开展，共随机抽取156户家庭作为研究样本。研究人员访谈了13名经立意遴选的关键信息提供者（基于其相关资质），并采用参与式观察法开展数据收集。定量数据采用SPSS 20.0软件进行分析，定性数据则采用内容分析法进行处理。研究结果显示，镰荚金合欢当前的扩散范围已有所扩大，超过70%的受访者证实了这一情况。约82%的受访者表示，该灌木在其村落中已存在较长时间，但其入侵危害正逐年加剧。此次入侵的主要诱因被报告为气候变化与过度放牧。此外，镰荚金合欢已被证实侵占大量放牧用地。马赛社群认为该灌木极具破坏性：一方面，它会消耗牲畜可食用的草料总量；另一方面，它为狮子等捕食者提供了适宜的栖息环境，进而加剧了捕食者与牲畜、人类之间的冲突。