Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map


Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest (Fg)

Description

White (1983) describes the summits of the transitional rain forests of the East Usambara Mountains as a typical example of Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest.

The East Usambara Mountains are not high enough for the occurrence of Afromontane rain forest ( Fa ), but several Afromontane species occur at altitudes that are much lower than their normal limits on other mountains. Other examples of Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest, although floristically poorer, occur in Malawi (Misuku Hills (1370 m), Machemba Hill, Mt. Nchisi, Lisau Saddle and Chaone Hill) and Zimbabwe (Chirinda forest, White 1983 p. 187).

More than 40 percent of the species are endemic to the East Usambara Mountains. Most of these endemic species are floristically related to species that occur in the lowland rain forests of the Guineo-Congolian regional centre of endemism. The pattern that many species are separated by a wide interval with their congeneric species suggests that the East Usambara Mountains is a refugium for a flora that was previously distributed over a much larger area.

Almost 30 percent the species are either Afromontane or upland (‘lower transitional rain forest’) species. Most of the remaining species also occur in the Guineo-Congolian regional centre of endemism (White 1983 p. 187). Lovett (1990 p. 292) suggests that in the future, Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest should be regarded as an Afromontane forest type rather than a Zanzibar-Inhambane forest type since the proportion of Afromontane species is greater.

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 (Fg) 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 (%)
Fg 1,738 15.60 9.60
Wmr/Fg 139 0.00 94.20

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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