Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Carbonization Activity in the Rural Area of Lubumbashi (DR Congo): Quantification and Yield Determinants

Nathan Mukendi Kasanda
* ,
Khoji Muteya Héritier
ORCID logo ,
Dieu-donné Nghonda N'tambwe
ORCID logo ,
Fabio Berti
,
Yannick Useni Sikuzani
ORCID logo ,
Laurent Ndjibu Ngoy
,
Jean-Paul Mbay Katond
,
Jules Mwine Fyama Nkulu
,
Philippe Lebailly
,
Jan BOGAERT
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 23 February 2024 / Approved: 26 February 2024 / Online: 26 February 2024 (11:50:25 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Mukendi, N.K.; Muteya, H.K.; Nghonda, D.-D.N.; Berti, F.; Useni Sikuzani, Y.; Ndjibu, L.N.; Mbay, J.-P.K.; Fyama, J.N.M.; Lebailly, P.; Bogaert, J. Quantification and Determinants of Carbonization Yield in the Rural Zone of Lubumbashi, DR Congo: Implications for Sustainable Charcoal Production. Forests 2024, 15, 554. Mukendi, N.K.; Muteya, H.K.; Nghonda, D.-D.N.; Berti, F.; Useni Sikuzani, Y.; Ndjibu, L.N.; Mbay, J.-P.K.; Fyama, J.N.M.; Lebailly, P.; Bogaert, J. Quantification and Determinants of Carbonization Yield in the Rural Zone of Lubumbashi, DR Congo: Implications for Sustainable Charcoal Production. Forests 2024, 15, 554.

Abstract

Although charcoal production is a source of income, it is often associated with deforestation due to the felling of trees in rural areas. The study quantifies the yield of carbonization in the rural area of Lubumba-shi, DRC, and identifies its determinants. By analyzing 20 kilns from professional producers in different villages, the study reveals that these charcoal producers build large kilns, containing an average of 46.9±21.5 m3 of wood from 19 species of miombo trees. The average carbonization yield is 10.2%, varying from village to village due to parameters such as kiln size, quantity of wood used, kiln coverage time, wind exposure, substrate type and tree species. It was noted that the moisture content and size of the wood did not correlate significantly with the quantity of charcoal harvested per kiln. Yield improvement should therefore take these parameters into account to enable charcoal producers to increase their income while adopting sustainable production practices.

Keywords

Pyrolysis; Deforestation; Charcoal; Miombo woodland; Environment

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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