Important Woody Plant Species, their Management and Conservation Status in Balawoli Sub-county, Uganda
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Date
2012
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Ethnobotany Research and Applications
Abstract
Woody plant species are threatened in Uganda. To conserve
these species there is need to generate information
that may be used to design management plans. This
study was conducted in Balawoli Sub-county, Kamuli
District, Uganda between July 2009 and January 2010.
We addressed four questions: (1) which woody species
are most preferred? (2) what is the conservation status
of these species and for which species have changes in
local availability been observed? (3) what management
practices exist for woody species? and (4) what tenure
rights exist for woody plants? Data were generated
through guided questionnaire interviews. Seventeen species
are valued most within the community. These species
are multipurpose and altogether have 25 different uses
for the community. The most frequently harvested products
are edible fruits, firewood and timber. The value of
these species as a source of income is low. Milicia excelsa
(Welw.) C.C. Berg, Albizia coriaria Welw. ex Oliv.,
Combretum molle R. Br. ex G. Don, Terminalia glaucescens
Planch. ex Benth., Coffea spp., Combretum collinum
Fresen. and Citrus spp. are becoming scarce. However,
Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., Mangifera indica L., Ficus
natalensis Hochst., Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, Acacia
sp., Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby, Eucalyptus
spp., Pinus spp., Carica papaya L. and Lantana camara
L. are increasing in abundance. The main factors leading
to the scarcity of some species include over-harvesting,
destructive harvesting, pests, poor planting of trees
by farmers, and droughts. The key factors contributing to
some species’ success are that the species are: planted,
drought resistant, regenerate naturally, easy to manage,
mature fast, available as seedlings. Farmers maintain 51
woody species that they plant or retain when found growing
naturally on their land. Some farmers are constrained
in planting trees by lack of seedlings, pest infestations,
drought and lack of land. Species are managed in crop fields, the courtyard and home garden. Men own trees in
the homestead, are more involved in tree management
and selling of tree products, than women.
Description
Keywords
Woody Plant Species, Conservation Status, Uganda
Citation
Tabuti, JR (2012). Important woody plant species, their management and conservation status in Balawoli sub-county, Uganda. Ethnobotany Research and Applications , 10 , 269-286.