Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map



Freshwater swamp (X)

Description

Permanent swamps occur in depressions where water permanently floods the surface to a shallow depth (seasonal swamps are usually covered with edaphic grassland ( g )). Most of the shallower lakes outside the Guineo-Congolian floristic region (especially those that are not strongly saline, see halophytic vegetation ( Z ) ) have a wide belt of reed-swamp where the dominant species are usually rooted in the soil and have stems that rise out of the water. The most abundant reed-swamp species is Cyperus papyrus (a giant sedge species) but other species can also be dominant such as Miscanthus violaceus, Phragmites australis and Phragmites mauritianus grasses (White 1983 pp. 55 and 265).


  1. N. Moshi 2010; Figure 10.1 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.

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.Ibcat.IIcat.IIIcat.IVcat.VINCNPSum
g/X010,124042232,8967,26488,834139,540
X131,0113164,7421,0391,16120,90729,189
X/P000000715715
Sum1311,1353165,16433,9358,425110,456169,444
IUCNg/XXX/PSum
cat.Ib013013
cat.II10,1241,011011,135
cat.III03160316
cat.IV4224,74205,164
cat.VI32,8961,039033,935
NC7,2641,16108,425
NP88,83420,907715110,456
Sum139,54029,189715169,444

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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