Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map



Grassland (climatic grassland, code: G)

(excluding semi-desert grassland and edaphic grassland)

Description

White (1983) attempted to distinguish between climatic, edaphic and secondary grasslands. However, he admitted that is was not always easy to decide to which category a particular grassland type should belong since various factors may operate together. For example, grasslands may occur in soils that are incapable of supporting trees, but the soils themselves may have developed under unusual climatic conditions (White 1983 p. 51). The occurrence of semi-desert grassland ( S ) seems to be under climatic and edaphic control - rather than classifying it as climatic grassland or edaphic grassland, we mapped it separately within the VECEA map as mapping unit "S".

Some montane grassland areas that are derived from forest vegetation types have existed for hundreds or thousands of years. This seems to be especially the case for montane grasslands that are under the influence of Lake Malawi, and includes various montane grassland areas in Malawi and Tanzania (C. Dudley and J. Timberlake, personal communication). Some montane grasslands occurring at the highest elevations (≥ 2200 m) are dominated by grass species that are almost entirely restricted to these altitudes (C. Dudley, personal observations). In the VECEA map, we classified areas where these grasslands occur as mosaics of Afromontane grassland (Gm) and Afromontane forests (Fa , Fb and Fd).

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 (G) 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 (%)
G 1,180 42.80 5.40

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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