Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map


Chipya woodland and wooded grassland (Wy)

Description

Chipya woodland is a vegetation type that burns fiercely, consisting of markedly fire-resistant trees (also other than the Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia species that are dominant in miombo woodland (Wm)) that grow mixed in very tall grass. The name is derived from the Bemba verb of ‘kupya’, meaning ‘to burn’ (Smith and Trapnell 2002).

Three herbaceous species (Aframomum alboviolaceum, Pteridium aquilinum and Smilax anceps) are almost universally present in Chipya woodland, but are absent from most types of miombo woodland (White 1983 p. 96). These herbaceous species were listed as “chipya indicators” by Fanshawe (1971 p. 15). These three indicator species are relict evergreen species that also occur in Zambezian dry evergreen forest (Fm) and upland riparian forest (fr; Smith and Trapnell 2002).

Chipya woodland occurs on sites that were formerly occupied by Zambezian dry evergreen forest (Fm) or Zambezian transition woodland (an ecotone between Zambezian dry evergreen forest (Fm) and miombo woodland (Wm). Chipya woodland consist of a complex mosaic representing different stages of degradation and reestablishment of the original vegetation, with one extreme being tall almost pure grassland and the other extreme being a community of evergreen species with a virtually closed canopy. The whole physiognomic spectrum spans Chipya woodland, Chipya wooded grassland and Chipya grassland; the term of “woodland” therefore underrepresents the physiognomy variation within this vegetation type (White 1983 p. 96).


  1. Bingham; Figure 13.1 in VECEA Volume 3

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 (Wy) 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 (%)
Wy 17,902 2.40 22.20

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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