Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa
a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map
Somalia-Masai semi-desert grassland and shrubland
Description
White (1983) does not think that there is an objective criterion to separate arid regions from wet regions, although he also mentions that semi-desert areas usually begin to appear where the mean annual rainfall drops below 250 mm, the southern boundary of the Sahara desert corresponds to the 150 mm isohyet and the northern boundary of the Sahara desert corresponds to the 100 mm isohyet. However, he defines semi-deserts as areas where the differences in soil characteristics (such as soil colour) are more conspicuous than the vegetation itself, but where the plants are still sufficiently evenly distributed so that the vegetation can be further classified in physiognomic categories such as “semi-desert grassland” and “semi-desert shrubland” (White 1983 pp. 52 - 53).
Where annual rainfall is between 100 and 200 mm in the Somalia-Masai floristic region, semi-desert grassland (dominated by Centropodia glauca, Eragrostis mahrana and Panicum turgidum) occurs on deep sand. Under similar rainfall conditions, semi-desert shrubland occurs on stony soils (White 1983 p. 115).

F. Gachathi 2010; Figure 9.2 in VECEA Volume 5
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.
- Characteristic species: Acacia etbaica, Acacia horrida, Acacia mellifera, Acacia reficiens, Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acacia tortilis, Achyrocline glumacea, Aerva javanica, Aloe breviscapa, Aloe rigens, Aloe scobinifolia, Aristida mutabilis, Caralluma edithae, Caralluma penicillata, Centropodia glauca, Duosperma eremophilum, Eragrostis mahrana, Euphorbia columnaris, Euphorbia cuneata, Euphorbia mosaica, Euphorbia multiclava, Euphorbia sepulta, Farsetia longisiliqua, Indigofera spinosa, Ipomoea sultani, Jatropha pelargoniifolia, Kelleronia splendens, Leucas abyssinica, Lycium europaeum, Melocarpum hildebrandtii, Ochradenus baccatus, Panicum turgidum, Pelargonium christophoranum, Sporobolus spicatus, Suaeda monoica
- Other species present: Acacia bussei, Acacia drepanolobium, Acacia edgeworthii, Acacia ehrenbergiana, Acacia gerrardii, Acacia nilotica, Acacia oerfota, Acacia zanzibarica, Adenium obesum, Aristida adscensionis, Balanites aegyptiaca, Balanites pedicellaris, Balanites rotundifolia, Blepharis linariifolia, Boscia angustifolia, Boscia coriacea, Boswellia rivae, Cadaba farinosa, Cadaba glandulosa, Cadaba mirabilis, Cadaba rotundifolia, Calotropis procera, Capparis cartilaginea, Capparis decidua, Cenchrus pennisetiformis, Chasmanthera dependens, Chrysopogon plumulosus, Cissus rotundifolia, Cocculus hirsutus, Combretum aculeatum, Commiphora africana, Commiphora erlangeriana, Commiphora erythraea, Commiphora gileadensis, Commiphora guidottii, Commiphora habessinica, Commiphora incisa, Commiphora kua, Commiphora myrrha, Commiphora samharensis, Commiphora sphaerocarpa, Cordeauxia edulis, Cordia sinensis, Cordia suckertii, Cynanchum clavidens, Cynanchum gerrardii, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Delonix elata, Dobera glabra, Grewia similis, Grewia tenax, Hyphaene thebaica, Indigofera oblongifolia, Ipomoea donaldsonii, Lannea triphylla, Lawsonia inermis, Leptadenia arborea, Leptadenia hastata, Leptothrium senegalense, Leucas tomentosa, Lycium shawii, Maerua crassifolia, Maerua oblongifolia, Momordica sessilifolia, Momordica spinosa, Moringa peregrina, Oropetium capense, Salvadora persica, Sarcostemma viminale, Senna alexandrina, Senna longiracemosa, Senna sophera, Sericocomopsis hildebrandtii, Sericocomopsis pallida, Sesamothamnus busseanus, Sesbania sesban, Sporobolus helvolus, Sporobolus pellucidus, Sterculia africana, Tamarindus indica, Tamarix aphylla, Tamarix nilotica, Terminalia brevipes, Tetrapogon cenchriformis, Tragus berteronianus, Vernonia cinerascens, Wrightia demartiniana, Ziziphus spina-christi
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.
Conservation status
The table shows the area (km2) of the PNV is outside the protected areas (NP) and the area protected within one of the protected areas, split by IUCN management category. Only the nationally designated protected areas were included.
PNV | cat.II | cat.IV | cat.VI | NC | NP | Sum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bds/S | 0 | 0 | 63 | 102 | 3,321 | 3,486 |
S | 317 | 856 | 1,408 | 4,227 | 93,832 | 100,640 |
Sum | 317 | 856 | 1,471 | 4,329 | 97,153 | 104,126 |
IUCN | Bds/S | S | Sum |
---|---|---|---|
cat.II | 0 | 317 | 317 |
cat.IV | 0 | 856 | 856 |
cat.VI | 63 | 1,408 | 1,471 |
NC | 102 | 4,227 | 4,329 |
NP | 3,321 | 93,832 | 97,153 |
Sum | 3,486 | 100,640 | 104,126 |
Ia - Strict nature reserve, Ib - Wilderness area, II - National park, III - Natural monument or feature, IV - Habitat/species management area, V - Protected landscape/seascape, VI - Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources, NC - unclassified or not assigned, NP - outside the protected areas
Links
- More about the species selection tool
- Go back to the index other vegetation types
- Go back to http://vegetationmap4africa.org
- The map is described in detail in the documentation.
Citation and terms of use
- Kindt R, van Breugel P, Orwa C, Lillesø JPB, Jamnadass R and Graudal L (2015) Useful tree species for Eastern Africa: a species selection tool based on the VECEA map. Version 2.0. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and Forest & Landscape Denmark. http://vegetationmap4africa.org
- van Breugel P, Kindt R, Lillesø JPB, Bingham M, Demissew S, Dudley C, Friis I, Gachathi F, Kalema J, Mbago F, Moshi HN, Mulumba, J, Namaganda M, Ndangalasi HJ, Ruffo CK, Védaste M, Jamnadass R and Graudal L (2015) Potential Natural Vegetation Map of Eastern Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia). Version 2.0. Forest and Landscape (Denmark) and World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). URL: http://vegetationmap4africa.org
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