Improved land clearing
Improved land clearing is the first step in implementing assisted natural regeneration. It involves not uprooting, burning, or cutting shrubs or young trees at ground level during field preparation or weeding operations. Instead, it focuses on selecting and allowing one to three shoots per stump to grow.
Objectives
- Increase the carbon sequestration capacity of agroecosystems
- Create a green screen that serves as a windbreak
- Improve agricultural production
- Ensure forest seed sources
- Preserve a few trees in fields for seed production and/or agroforestry benefits, including wind reduction
- Enhance biodiversity
Environmental context / Site conditions
Improved land clearing is a practice suitable for all land and soil types in Sahelian and Sudanian climates (400 to 1100 mm rainfall). It is done on individual or collective farms mainly for rainfed agriculture, while respecting tree densities appropriate for crops. It is carried out within two months before the rainy season and during weeding operations.
Implementation steps
- Identify the shoots to be protected, regardless of age — ideally prioritizing nitrogen-fixing and multipurpose species
- Mark young shoots using stakes
- Thin out if needed (keep 2 to 3 shoots per stump) to maintain proper density
Technical characteristics
- Tree density: The ideal density for cereal association is 50–100 trees per hectare. In Niger, density ranges from 25 to 400 trees/ha depending on species and crown size
- Large-canopy species (e.g., Prosopis africana, Faidherbia albida): 25–40 trees/ha
- Medium-canopy species (Balanites aegyptiaca, Bauhinia rufescens): 100 trees/ha
- Shrubby species (e.g., Combretaceae): 400 trees/ha
- Timing and frequency: Once before the rainy season, and possibly a second time mid-season if needed
Required tools
- Machete
- Hoe (daba)
- Axe
- Rake
Management, Ownership & Sustainability Measures
- Choose the shoots to retain
- Cut all others
- Scatter the cut material around the stump
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Creates a favorable microclimate
- Prevents water and wind erosion
- Improves crop yields
- Restores biodiversity (flora and fauna)
- Provides forage and wood for various uses at the time of clearing
- Enhances the growth of woody species
Disadvantages / Constraints
- Limited knowledge of local species' biology and physiology
- Risk of disease and plant death
- Illegal cutting
- Animal intrusion (grazing damage)
Cost per hectare
| Items | Unit | Quantity | Unit Price (FCFA) | Total (FCFA) |
| Workforce | M/D | 2 | 2 000 | 4 000 |
| Machete | Unit | 2 | 2 000 | 4 000 |
| Daba | Unit | 2 | 2 000 | 4 000 |
| Axe | Unit | 2 | 2 000 | 4 000 |
| Rake | Unit | 2 | 3 000 | 6 000 |
| Total investment | 22 000 |
Note: These costs are indicative and may vary depending on the context.
Lifespan
Improved land clearing is carried out annually.
This page was written in partnership with the Urbane project and with the financial support of the European Union.
