REVIEW article
Front. Clim.
Sec. Climate Adaptation
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fclim.2025.1636284
This article is part of the Research TopicIndigenous and Local Knowledge as a Catalyst for Sustainable Agriculture and Food SecurityView all 21 articles
The contribution of indigenous multipurpose trees found in Southern Africa to increased livestock production and climate change adaptation: A review
Provisionally accepted
Mellisa Chengetai Mpofu1*
Peter Makumbe2
Linde Du Toit3Denice Chikwanda1James Madzimure1Sebastian Chakeredza1- 1College of Health, Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Department of Agriculture Sciences, Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe
- 2Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, Shangani Holistic, Shangani, Zimbabwe
- 3Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Feed shortages during the dry season remain a critical challenge for livestock production in Southern Africa, where ruminant farming supports livelihoods and food security. This review assesses the role of indigenous multipurpose trees (MPTs) in enhancing ruminant livestock production during the dry season and climate change adaptation. Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review systematically analyzed 41 ethnobotanical studies and 19 in vivo trials, identifying key gaps in prior reviews regarding quantitative ethnobotanical metrics, regional coverage, and climate adaptation mechanisms. The review identified 122 plant species from 34 botanical families and 78 genera browsed by ruminants, with Dichrostachys cinerea and Colophospermum mopane emerging as the most frequently cited species. These MPTs provide essential ecosystem services, including medicine, food, construction materials, firewood, and ethnoveterinary uses, while also contributing to climate resilience through shade, windbreaks, and insect repellent properties. The findings demonstrate that integrating these trees into livestock diets improves body weight, milk and meat production, and reduces methane emissions. Despite their potential, invasive species like D. cinerea require careful management. We recommend adopting non-invasive, high-value species such as Acacia erioloba, Sclerocarya birrea, Boscia albitrunca, and C. mopane into silvopastoral systems to mitigate feed shortages and enhance climate resilience. Future efforts should focus on domestication, conservation, and policy support to optimize their use in sustainable livestock production.
Keywords: Browse, climate change adaptation, Feed shortages, indigenous multipurpose trees, livestock production, Southern Africa
Received: 27 May 2025; Accepted: 31 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mpofu, Makumbe, Du Toit, Chikwanda, Madzimure and Chakeredza. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mellisa Chengetai Mpofu, mmpofu@africau.edu
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