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.
- Characteristic species: Carpodiptera africana, Diospyros squarrosa, Grewia plagiophylla, Grewia truncata, Harrisonia abyssinica, Lannea schweinfurthii, Ludia mauritiana, Manilkara sansibarensis, Millettia usaramensis, Monanthotaxis fornicata, Pycnocoma littoralis, Sterculia rhynchocarpa, Tabernaemontana elegans, Uvaria leptocladon, Zanthoxylum chalybeum
- Other species present: Adansonia digitata, Afzelia quanzensis, Antiaris toxicaria, Bridelia micrantha, Combretum schumannii, Dialium orientale, Dichrostachys cinerea, Diospyros mespiliformis, Dodonaea viscosa, Encephalartos hildebrandtii, Euclea racemosa, Euphorbia tirucalli, Ficus sur, Flacourtia indica, Flueggea virosa, Manilkara sulcata, Markhamia zanzibarica, Mimusops obtusifolia, Monodora grandidieri, Ozoroa insignis, Pandanus kirkii, Psydrax schimperiana, Pterocarpus angolensis, Rhodognaphalon schumannianum, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Salvadora persica, Sclerocarya birrea, Sideroxylon inerme, Sorindeia madagascariensis, Sterculia africana, Syzygium cordatum, Tamarindus indica, Xylopia parviflora
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
- 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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