Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa
a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map
Evergreen and semi-evergreen bushland and thicket
Description
Evergreen and semi-evergreen bushland and thicket occurs on the drier slopes of mountains and upland areas in East Africa which rise from the lowlands from the Somalia-Masai region all the way from central Tanzania to Eritrea (and beyond). It often forms an ecotone between Afromontane forest (especially Afromontane single-dominant Juniperus procera forest ( Fbj ) and deciduous bushland ( Bd )) - this pattern of occurrence can be clearly observed in northern Kenya such as at on the lower slopes of Mt. Marsabit (2º 16’ N, 37º 57’ E). The mean annual rainfall is mostly between 500 and 850 mm and is irregularly distributed throughout the year but with two main peaks (White 1983 pp. 48 and 115). Evergreen bushland (in mosaic with Lake Victoria Euphorbia dawei scrub forest ( xfe ) that is edaphically restricted to rocky slopes) probably represents the climax vegetation of large parts of the Lake Victoria region. This evergreen bushland variant is floristically similar but also floristically poorer than the vegetation type with the same name that occurs in the Somalia-Masai region.

M. Namaganda 2008; Figure 4.1 in VECEA Volume 4
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 brevispica, Acacia drepanolobium, Acacia gerrardii, Acacia hockii, Acacia kirkii, Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acokanthera oppositifolia, Acokanthera schimperi, Allophylus africanus, Aloe kedongensis, Aspilia mossambicensis, Azima tetracantha, Calodendrum capense, Canthium keniense, Capparis fascicularis, Capparis tomentosa, Carissa spinarum, Cissus quadrangularis, Cissus rotundifolia, Croton dichogamus, Cussonia holstii, Dodonaea viscosa, Dombeya burgessiae, Dracaena ellenbeckiana, Drypetes gerrardii, Cassine buchananii, Erythrococca bongensis, Euclea divinorum, Euclea racemosa, Euphorbia candelabrum, Gnidia subcordata, Grewia bicolor, Grewia similis, Grewia tembensis, Juniperus procera, Maerua triphylla, Maytenus heterophylla, Olea europaea, Psiadia punctulata, Psydrax schimperiana, Pterolobium stellatum, Sarcostemma viminale, Schrebera alata, Scutia myrtina, Rhus natalensis, Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Tarenna graveolens, Tinnea aethiopica, Turraea mombassana, Turraea nilotica, Vepris nobilis, Vepris simplicifolia, Vepris trichocarpa, Vernonia brachycalyx
- Other species present: Acacia mellifera, Albizia coriaria, Berberis holstii, Berchemia discolor, Bridelia scleroneura, Cadaba farinosa, Canthium lactescens, Catha edulis, Clerodendrum myricoides, Dichrostachys cinerea, Euphorbia tirucalli, Grewia mollis, Harrisonia abyssinica, Pappea capensis, Pistacia aethiopica, Pittosporum viridiflorum, Rhoicissus tridentata, Vangueria apiculata, Vangueria madagascariensis, Zanthoxylum usambarense, Ziziphus abyssinica
- Marginal species (occurrence less certain): Acacia lahai, Acacia nilotica, Acacia polyacantha, Albizia amara, Albizia zygia, Allophylus rubifolius, Annona senegalensis, Antidesma venosum, Apodytes dimidiata, Balanites aegyptiaca, Boscia angustifolia, Bridelia micrantha, Clausena anisata, Combretum molle, Commiphora africana, Cordia monoica, Crotalaria agatiflora, Croton macrostachyus, Cussonia arborea, Dombeya rotundifolia, Dovyalis abyssinica, Erythrina abyssinica, Faurea rochetiana, Faurea saligna, Ficus glumosa, Flacourtia indica, Gardenia ternifolia, Indigofera swaziensis, Lannea fulva, Lannea humilis, Lannea schweinfurthii, Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius, Lippia kituiensis, Gymnosporia senegalensis, Maytenus undata, Oncoba spinosa, Ormocarpum kirkii, Osyris lanceolata, Ozoroa insignis, Pavetta crassipes, Rhamnus staddo, Rhoicissus revoilii, Rhus pyroides, Senna didymobotrya, Solanecio cydoniifolius, Solanecio mannii, Steganotaenia araliacea, Stereospermum kunthianum, Strychnos henningsii, Terminalia brownii, Tetradenia riparia, Vangueria infausta, Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Ziziphus mucronata, Ziziphus pubescens
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. It should be noted that the vegetation type may form only a small part of the listed compound types. For example, Be only occurs at the margins of the Fb/Be/wd compound vegetation type.
PNV | II | III | IV | VI | NC | NP | Sum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Be | 3,036 | 441 | 2,936 | 205 | 5,031 | 60,059 | 71,708 |
Be/fe/R | 98 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2,343 | 2,442 |
Be/P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
Be/R | 422 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6,843 | 7,267 |
Be/We | 0 | 0 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 3,761 | 3,855 |
Fb/Be/wd | 630 | 0 | 554 | 15,814 | 5,164 | 172,154 | 194,316 |
Sum | 4,186 | 441 | 3,587 | 16,019 | 10,195 | 245,177 | 279,605 |
IUCN | Be | Be/fe/R | Be/P | Be/R | Be/We | Fb/Be/wd | Sum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
II | 3,036 | 98 | 0 | 422 | 0 | 630 | 4,186 |
III | 441 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 441 |
IV | 2,936 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 94 | 554 | 3,587 |
VI | 205 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15,814 | 16,019 |
NC | 5,031 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,164 | 10,195 |
NP | 60,059 | 2,343 | 17 | 6,843 | 3,761 | 172,154 | 245,177 |
Sum | 71,708 | 2,442 | 17 | 7,267 | 3,855 | 194,316 | 279,605 |
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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