Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map


Zambezian dry deciduous forest and scrub forest (Fn)

Description

Zambezian dry deciduous forests have a canopy that varies from 12 to 25 m that is not always continuous. Zambezian dry deciduous forests occur in those parts of the Zambezian region where rainfall is between 600 and 900 mm per year. These forests are characteristically found on certain deep (usually sandy) soils which absorb all the rainfall and lateral seepage water and thereby remain moist at depth throughout the greater part of the dry season (White 1983 p. 90).

White (1983 p. 90) distinguishes between Baikiaea forests (forests virtually confined to Kalahari Sand where Baikiaea plurijuga forms an almost pure canopy and Pterocarpus lucens is an abundant subdominant species) and related forests where Baikiaea plurijuga is absent, that occur in the valleys of the middle and lower Zambezi and that show continuous floristic change towards the east (i.e. towards Malawi).


C. Dudley; Figure 13.1 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 (Fn) 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 (%)
Fn 8,236 10.90 41.90

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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