Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map


Afromontane undifferentiated forest (Fb)

Description

Two sub-types are recognized:

Afromontane undifferentiated forest is usually shorter than Afromontane rain forest (Fa). Although there is some floristic overlap in species composition between these two forest types (for example, Podocarpus latifolius, Prunus africana and Xymalos monospora were listed as characteristic species both for Afromontane rain forest and Afromontane undifferentiated forest), species composition is distinctive. Afromontane undifferentiated forest usually replaces Afromontane rain forest at comparable altitudes (usually between 1250 and 2500 m) on the drier slopes of mountains and at higher altitudes on the wetter slopes, and sometimes at lower altitudes (White 1983 p. 165). White (1983) reserved the term of “undifferentiated forests” to forests that undergo rapid and kaleidoscopic changes in structure and species composition over short distances (White 1983 p. 47)

After fire, Afromontane undifferentiated forests are sometimes replaced by almost pure stands of Afromontane single-dominant Juniperus procera forest (Fbj), Afromontane single-dominant Widdringtonia whytei forest (Fc) or Afromontane single-dominant Hagenia abyssinica forest (Fd). Within the VECEA map, we mapped the latter two types of forests (Fc and Fd) separately, but mapped Afromontane undifferentiated forest (Fbu) together with Afromontane single-dominant Juniperus procera forest (Fbj). We made this decision especially since most of the national maps only listed one of these two forests types, whereas our floristic and environmental analysis suggested that both these forests belonged to the same potential natural vegetation type.


G. Trapnell; Figure 4.3 in VECEA Volume 2

Plant 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. Between brackets the English vernacular name of the species and the documented country distribution of the species (B=Burundi, E=Ethiopia, K=Kenya, M=Malawi, R=Rwanda, T=Tanzania, U=Uganda, Z=Zambia) is provided.

Based on information on species presence in national manifestations of vegetation types, each species was classified as a regionally dominant, characteristic, present or marginal species for a vegetation type (Read more ...)

Products and environmental services of tree species

Documented products and environmental services for the tree species occurring in this vegetation type (Fb) are listed below. Clicking the name of any of these species will open the page for that species on the Agroforestry Species Switchboard. Between brackets information is given on the status of each species ('dom' indicates dominant species, 'cha' characteristic species, 'pre' other species and 'mar' species of marginal occurrence), the English vernacular name of the species and the documented country distribution of the species (B=Burundi, E=Ethiopia, K=Kenya, M=Malawi, R=Rwanda, T=Tanzania, U=Uganda, Z=Zambia).

Wood

Human consumption

Animal consumption

Environmental services

Other products

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 vegetation type and the percentage of this area explicitly designated for biodiversity, species or landscape protection (A) and areas designated for both protection and sustainable use objectives (B). Only the nationally designated protected areas were included.

PNV Area (km2) A (%) B (%)
Fa/Fb 13,259 11.00 12.50
Fb 33,883 4.60 28.50
Fb/Be/wd 194,316 0.60 10.80

A) Include the IUCN categories I - IV; B) Include the IUCN categories V - VI and the protected areas without IUCN classification. Read more

Links

Species selection tool
Other vegetation types
//vegetationmap4africa.org
Documentation

Citation and terms of use

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