Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map



Zanzibar-Inhambane scrub forest on coral rag (fc)

Description

Scrub forests are intermediate in structure between forest and bushland (and thicket). They are usually 10 - 15 m high. Trees (woody plants with well-defined and upright boles) are usually present but do not form a closed canopy. Smaller woody plants (principally bushes and shrubs) contribute at least as much as the trees to the appearance of this vegetation type.

White (1983) describes evergreen thickets that are the climax vegetation types on shallow soils that overlie coral limestone. We equated this vegetation type to the “maritime eastern African coastal scrub forest” that develop on shallow and easily dessicated soils that overly coral rag (i.e. surface limestone derived from recent corals) as described by Clarke and Robertson (2000).

Within the VECEA region, Zanzibar-Inhambane scrub forest on coral rag only occurs in the coastal areas of Kenya and Tanzania. We did not map it separately, but as part of the Zanzibar-Inhambane regional mosaic (CM)

Useful woody species

The main species recorded to occur within this vegetation type are listed below. Clicking the name of any of these species will open the page for that species on the Agroforestry Species Switchboard.

For more detailed information about the species occurrences see this excel workbook. It provides country specific information on species composition for this vegetation type. It also allows you to select a subset of useful tree species to provide desired products and services. For each species links to a number of websites / databases with information about this species are provided as well.

Links

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