Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map



Itigi thicket (edaphic vegetation type)

Description

Itigi thickets are dense deciduous thickets that occur on specialized soils in various drier parts and towards the periphery of the Zambezian floristic region. Itigi thicket took its name from the Tanzanian village of Itigi (5º 42’ S, 34º 29’ E) where the most extensive manifestation of this vegetation type occurs. During the rainy season, the soil is well aerated, well supplied with water and soft. The soil dries out during the dry season (at least in its upper layers) and then hardens considerably (White 1983 p. 97). Itigi thicket can only regenerate in gaps during periods of high rainfall (C. K. Ruffo, pers. comm.). Similar conditions of ample water during the rainy season but little or no water during the dry season are found at a more reduced scale in Itigi forest in Zambia (Fanshawe 1971 p. 25). For these reasons, Itigi thicket is a vegetation type that is edaphically determined (White 1983 p. 49). However, Zambian Itigi occurs in a wetter zone than the Tanzanian Itigi (M. Bingham, pers. comm.). The vegetation type is considered an ecoregion (Itigi-Sumbu thicket ecoregion) on the WWF ecoregional map.

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.

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.

PNVcat.IIcat.VINCNPSum
bi507466985,3916,462
Sum507466985,3916,462
IUCNbiSum
cat.II507507
cat.VI466466
NC9898
NP5,3915,391
Sum6,4626,462

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

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