Table 2 Five common types of controlled anthropogenic burns. Summers, October through April, are hot and rainy, while winter, May through September, is cooler and drier.
From: Indigenous Fire Use to Manage Savanna Landscapes in Southern Mozambique
Reason for burn | Habitat burned | Frequency | Seasonality | Patch size burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cleaning winter fields | Wetland along river and lake shores | Once, when cleared originally | Apr. – May | >0.5 ha to 5.0 ha |
Cleaning summer fields | Open woodland, woodland | Every 4–5 years | Oct. – Nov. Fallows burned in Feb. prior to Oct. cleaning | >0.5 ha to 5.0 ha |
Preparing and improving pasture | Open savanna (Gala) Wooded savanna (Madjadjane) | Every other year Every 2–3 years | February | >5.0 ha |
Apiculture | Open woodland, woodland, closed forest Eucalyptus stands (plantation) | Annual | Nov. – Dec. June – July | Individual colonies |
Hunting | Open savanna, wooded savanna, open woodland | Varies with need, poaching activities affect frequency | Grazing lawns likely burned in Feb. to improve forage p ]Burning for snare lines might occur anytime Poaching activities have no seasonality | Depends on purpose |
Sura production | Wooded savanna, open woodland | Annual | Anytime during the year | Individual stands of Phoenix reclinata |