Ukuvuselela Uhlaza Lwehlathi Lase-Amazon
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRAZIL
NGAWO 1990, i-United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization yabika ukuthi umhlaba wawulahlekelwa yizigidigidi zamahektare amahlathi emvelo minyaka yonke. Esifundazweni sase-Amazon eBrazil kuphela, amasaha nemililo yequbula kakade sekushintshe ingxenye yehlathi lemvula enkulu kunezwe laseJalimane yaba amadlelo nje. Esikhundleni sesinindolo sezihlahla eziminyene, ihlathi manje selinezikhala zeziduli ezomile ezinokhula neziqu zezihlahla ezishiswe yilanga.
Nakuba lokhu kuqothulwa kwehlathi okuqhubekayo kushaqisa, kunenhlansi yethemba. Uhlelo olunikeza ithemba kakade seluvezé imiphumela. Lubizwa ngokuthi i-agroforestry, futhi incwadi ethile ichaza leli gama ngokuthi “isimiso esihlanganisa ukutshalwa kwezihlahla nezilimo ezidliwayo noma amadlelo . . . ngendlela ezuzisayo ngokwemvelo.” Isebenza kanjani i-agroforestry? Yini eye yayifinyelela? Yimaphi amathemba esikhathi esizayo? Ukuze ithole ukukhanyiselwa, i-Phaphama! yavakashela i-National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA) eManaus, inhloko-dolobha yeSifundazwe sase-Amazonas eBrazil.
Indlela Edumazayo Yokubalekela Ubunzima
UJohannes van Leeuwen, isazi sezolimo namahlathi esingumDashi eMnyangweni Wezolimo Namahlathi e-INPA, useneminyaka engu-11 esebenza nabalimi base-Amazon. Kodwa kwenzeka kanjani ukuba abalimi abaningi kangaka bazithole sebese-Amazon? Ukulima ngemishini enkabeni naseningizimu yeBrazil kwaqala ukuphuca abalimi abasafufusa indawo yabo nendlela yokuziphilisa, ngakho bafuduka. Abanye abalimi, ababetshala i-jute, esetshenziselwa ukwaluka amasaka, baphelelwa yindlela yokuziphilisa njengoba izikhwama zepulasitiki zazithatha indawo yamasaka. Kanti-ke abanye, njengoba babehlala ezindaweni ezinesomiso, baphoqeleka ukuba bathuthe bayofuna indawo enenhlabathi evundile. Kodwa babezoshonaphi? Lapho bezwa ngezithembiso zokuthola indawo, izindlu nenhlabathi evundile e-Amazon, balandela indlela entsha eholela kuleli hlathi lemvula.
Nokho, ngokushesha laba balimi bathola ukuthi babefudukele endaweni enemvula eningi, eswakeme kakhulu, ehlala ishisa futhi engenayo inhlabathi evundile. Phakathi neminyaka emibili kuya kwemine, inhlabathi yase iphelelwe yizakhi futhi sekuphakeme inkinga efanayo: abantu abampofu endaweni engatheli. Laba balimi ababekhungathekile baxazulula le nkinga ngokugawula indawo eyengeziwe ehlathini ukuze bakwazi ukulima.
Kuyavunywa ukuthi abalimi abasafufusa abayona imbangela enkulu yokuqothulwa kwehlathi lase-Amazon. Umonakalo omkhulu uye wabangelwa abanikazi bamapulazi amakhulu ezinkomo, amabhizinisi amakhulu ezolimo, izimboni zezimayini nokugawulwa kwezihlahla kanye nemikhankaso yokwakha amadamu aphehla ugesi ngamanzi. Noma kunjalo, ukuthutheleka kwabalimi abasafufusa kanye nendlela abayisebenzisayo yokugawula ihlathi ukuze balime kuye kwaba nesandla ekuqothulweni kwehlathi.
Ukuxhumana “Nemitapo Ephilayo”
UVan Leeuwen uthi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi likhulu kangakanani ithonya abanalo kuleli hlathi, laba balimi abampofu bahlala khona futhi ayikho enye indawo abangaya kuyo. Ngakho ukuze sinqande ukuqothulwa kwehlathi, kufanele sibasize baphile ngendawo abanayo ngaphandle kokuba bagawule ingxenye eyengeziwe yehlathi.” Lungena lapho-ke uhlelo lwe-agroforestry, lufundisa indlela yokulima enqanda ukuphelelwa amandla kwenhlabathi futhi ivumele abalimi ukuba basebenzise indawo egawuliwe efanayo iminyaka eminingi. Abacwaningi bayihlanganisa kanjani imininingwane yalolu hlelo?
Ngaphambi kokuba kuqalwe uhlelo lwe-INPA lwe-agroforestry, kwachithwa iminyaka eminingi kwenziwa izinhlolo-vó, kuxoxwa nabantu futhi kuthathwa namasampula endawo. Ukwaziswa okubalulekile kwatholakala ikakhulukazi ngokuxoxa “nemitapo ephilayo”—amaNdiya nama-caboclo, abantu abanokhokho abamhlophe, abansundu namaNdiya abazinza esifundeni sase-Amazon.
Lezi zakhamuzi zase-Amazon zinenqolobane yolwazi. Ziyasazi isimo sezulu sendawo nenhlabathi etholakala khona—inhlabathi emnyama, ubumba olubomvu, ubumba olumhlophe, ibhuqu elibomvu, nenhlanganisela yesihlabathi nobumba—kanye nezithelo, izinongo namakhambi endabuko atholakala kuleli hlathi. Ngokusebenzisa lolu lwazi, izazi zezolimo namahlathi kanye nabalimi babambisana kwezocwaningo—ubumbano olwathuthukisa izinga lalolu hlelo.
Ihlathi Aliyona Imayini
Lolu hlelo lwe-agroforestry lwathuthukiswa kancane kancane. Isinyathelo sokuqala sasiwukusiza abalimi ukuba bangabheki ihlathi njengemayini—embiwayo bese iyashiywa—kodwa balibheke njengomthombo ovuselelwayo. Ngokulandelayo, bacetshiswa ukuba bangatshali nje umdumbula, ubhanana, ummbila, irayisi, ubhontshisi nezinye izilimo ezikhula ngokushesha kuphela, kodwa batshale nezihlahla. Abalimi babuza: “Sitshale izihlahla? Sizitshaleleni?”
Njengoba abalimi ngokuvamile bevela ezindaweni lapho izihlahla zazingafezi ndima kwezolimo futhi bengajwayelene nezihlahla zase-Amazon, abacwaningi bababonisa izinzuzo zokutshala izihlahla. Bachaza ukuthi inhlabathi yasehlathini ayizigcini izakhi ezidingwa yizilimo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngaphambi kokuba lezo zakhi zidlulele ezilimweni ezinjengommbila, zikhukhulwa yizimvula. Ngokuphambene nalokho, izihlahla ziyakwazi ukubamba futhi zigcine izakhi ukuze inhlabathi ihlale ivundile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izihlahla ziba yifolishi nomthunzi wezilwane. Abalimi bangasebenzisa nezihlahla njengezigxobo zokuphawula imingcele yendawo yabo. Futhi izihlahla zezithelo zingakhiqiza izithelo nokhuni olungenisa imali.
Abalimi bákhuthazwa nokuba batshale izinhlobonhlobo zezitshalo nezihlahla. Ngani? Ukuze bathole isivuno esikhulu sezithelo ezihlukahlukene nokhuni. Ngaleyo ndlela, umlimi ugwema ukuqongelela isivuno esikhulu sesithelo esisodwa noma ezimbili okufanele azishibhise ngenxa yokuthi wonke umuntu uthengisa umkhiqizo ofanayo ngaleso sikhathi.
Uhlelo Olufufusayo Luthela Izithelo
Zihlahla zini ezitshalwayo? “Okwamanje sitshala izinhlobo ezingu-30 kuya kwezingu-40 zezihlahla zezithelo ezibalwe lapha,” kusho isazi sezolimo namahlathi uVan Leeuwen njengoba enginikeza uhla lwezitshalo ezingu-65 ezinamagama angavamile. Ukuze abonise ukuthi lolu hlelo luyasebenza, uVan Leeuwen ungibonisa izithombe ezimbalwa ezathathwa ngezikhathi ezihlukene zendawo efanayo yehlathi eyagawulwa.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Indlela Ihlathi Elingasimama Ngayo Futhi.”
Ukuvakashela ezimakethe zaseManaus kubonisa ukuthi lolu hlelo olusha lwe-agroforestry luthela izithelo. Kulezi zimakethe kudayiswa izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-60 zezithelo ezilinywe endaweni. Uma zibheka isikhathi esizayo, izazi zezolimo namahlathi zinethemba lokuthi njengoba i-agroforestry isetshenziswa kabanzi, ukuqothulwa kwamahlathi kuyodamba. Phela, uma umlimi esenendlela yokulima kabusha epulazini elidala, angase awuyeke umqondo wokugawula ihlathi ukuze athole enye indawo.
Le mizamo encomekayo cishe ayinakuluqeda usongo olusembulungeni yonke oluhlasele imvelo. Kodwa ibonisa ukuthi yini engenziwa uma imithombo yethu eyigugu iphathwa ngenhlonipho.
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 24]
Dedani Mawolintshi Nama-acerola
Iwolintshi, elaziwa kahle ngovithamini C, alilutho uma liqhathaniswa nesithelo okuthiwa “yindlovukazi entsha kavithamini C.” Ngisho ne-acerola, isithelo esiphambili kweziqukethe uvithamini C, kufanele sidede. Ubani umbusi omusha? Isithelo esincane kodwa esinamandla esinombala onsomi esicishe silingane negilebhisi futhi esimila emathafeni ase-Amazon. Yini igama laso? I-camu-camu. Ingabe silufanele udumo? Umagazini othile waseBrazil uphawula ukuthi amagremu ayikhulu ewolintshi aqukethe uvithamini C ongamamiligremu angu-41, kanti amagremu ayikhulu e-acerola aqukethe amamiligremu angu-1 790 kavithamini C. Nokho, isilinganiso esifanayo se-camu-camu siqukethe indathane kavithamini C ongamamiligremu angu-2 880—okuliphinda izikhathi ezingu-70 izinga likavithamini C otholakala emawolintshini!
[Umthombo]
Acerola and camu-camu: Silvestre Silva/Reflexo
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 25]
Ubuciko Bokuhlela Izihlahla
Ngemva kokuba abalimi sebevumile ukusebenzisa izingxenye ezithile zohlelo lwe-agroforestry, isazi sezolimo namahlathi uJohannes van Leeuwen sibanikeza icebo elinemininingwane ephelele—uhlelo lwepulazi labo lezihlahla lesikhathi esizayo. Esikhundleni sokukhetha nokuxuba noma yiziphi izihlahla ngokunganaki, kusetshenziswa izithombe zama-computer ezibonisa indawo yonke ukuze kunqunywe ukuthi yiziphi izinhlobo okufanele zitshalwe nokuthi kufanele zihlelwe kanjani. Ukuhlela ngamaqembu izihlahla ezincane, ezinobukhulu obuvamile, nezinkulu kuwubuciko.
Ngokwesibonelo, iqembu lokuqala, elinezihlahla zikagwava, i-guarana ne-cupuaçu, litshalwa lisondelane. Lezi zihlahla azikhuli kodwa ziqala ukuthela ngokushesha. Iqembu lesibili, lezihlahla ezinobukhulu obuvamile njenge-biriba, ukwatapheya nesundu i-murumuru, zidinga indawo evulekile. Ngokuvamile leli qembu liqala ukuthela izithelo ngemva kwelokuqala. Iqembu lesithathu, elinezihlahla ezinkulu njengamantongomane aseBrazil, i-piquia ne-mahogany, zidinga indawo enkulu nakakhulu. Ezinye izihlahla kuleli qembu lokugcina zithela izithelo, ezinye zinokhuni oluyigugu, kanti ezinye zikhiqiza kokubili. Lapho womathathu la maqembu ezihlahla ekhula ndawonye, ipulazi livele lifane nehlathi lemvelo.
[Isithombe]
UJohannes van Leeuwen (ekugcineni ngakwesokudla)
Imakethe yaseManaus ethengisa izithelo ezitshalwe kule ndawo
[Umthombo]
J. van Leeuwen, INPA, Manaus, Brazil
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 26]
Indlela Ihlathi Elingasimama Ngayo Futhi
1. February 1993—Lesi siza sehlathi enkabeni ye-Amazon sagawulwa futhi sashiswa ngo-September 1992. Ngo-January 1993, kwatshalwa uphayinaphu. Ngemva kwenyanga, kwatshalwa nezihlahla zezithelo.
2. March 1994—Uphayinaphu usukhulile, futhi nezihlahla zezithelo ezitshaliwe seziqala ukubonakala. Izigqebhezana ezincane ezintini ezihlonywe eduze kwalezi zihlahla zibonisa ukuthi ziwuhlobo lwe-abiu, amantongomane aseBrazil kanye nezihlahla zesundu i-peach palm, uma sibala nje ezimbalwa. Ukuhlakula ukhula kwabalimi phakathi kwezilimo kwazuzisa nezihlahla. Njengokungathi zibonisa ukubonga, izihlahla seziqale ukuvundisa inhlabathi.
3. April 1995—Izilimo ezikhula ngokushesha sezivuniwe, zadliwa, noma zadayiswa, kodwa kusenezihlahla zezithelo ezihlukahlukene.
[Umthombo]
Pictures 1-3: J. van Leeuwen, INPA-CPCA, Manaus, Brazil