One with good availability of trees and tall grass which shows the soil is fertile; a good variety of both tree and animal species, giving a wider choice and several options as to what use it can have; soil which is not rocky as it can’t support vegetation favourably; soils that are well-drained; and terrain which is not too steep (Gaveni)
Forests maintain soil fertility, protect flow of rivers, and provide animal habitat. They provide durable trees that are used to build houses. Undisturbed forests can indicate culturally important burial grounds. Forests are used in the economic sense for hunting, grazing, collection of wood, collection of food, handicraft materials such as for mats and mortars, and utility items such as tool handles and brooms (Geleta)
What is a bad forest?
One in which the grass does not grow, where soils are clayey, where a lot of phingo and mphalankaya grow, and where there are few trees (Kazika)
One without a good number of trees and vegetation cover, without availability of wildlife, grass, and fodder, without a good range of fruit trees, but having a lot of thorn trees and shrubs, and poor soil that cannot support a good cover of vegetation (Gaveni)
