Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa

a species selection tool based on the VECEA Map


North Zambezian undifferentiated woodland (Wn)

Description

The name of “North Zambezian undifferentiated woodland and wooded grassland” directly corresponds to the name given by Frank White for this vegetation type (White 1983 p. 95). A synonym for this vegetation type is "Munga woodland", also a name proposed by Frank White (1965), but a name that was not used in The Vegetation of Africa (White 1983). We expect that the more current name was preferred as “undifferentiated” expresses rapid and kaleidoscopic changes in structure and species composition over short distances, similar to patterns for “undifferentiated forests” (White 1983 p. 47).

North Zambezian Undifferentiated woodland can be more easily defined by the absence of the dominant species of miombo woodland (Wn) and mopane woodland and scrub woodland (Wo) than by its own floristic composition. Although the dominants of miombo woodland are usually absent, some of the associated species are frequently present. Despite its small area, it is composed of many more tree species than either miombo or mopane (White 1983 p. 95).

Several authors such as Fanshawe (1971) have distinguished vegetation subtypes of a Combretum - Terminalia variant on the more elevated and better drained sites, and an Acacia variant on the less elevated and poorer drained sites. The Combretum - Terminalia variant is clearly related to the vegetation type that we mapped as Combretum wooded grassland (Wc) in the VECEA map, but for various reasons explained in Volume 3 (including Box 1), we mapped the Combretum - Terminalia variant as North Zambezian Undifferentiated woodland (Wn).


  1. Bingham; Figure 9.2 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 (Wn) 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 (%)
Wmd/Wn 12,895 33.20 21.90
Wn 60,879 14.50 18.70
Wn/g 126,864 18.70 15.60
Wn/P 703 0.70 0.00

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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