Assessment of the biological values of different land cover types in ...

In addition, fourteen of the tree species were found both in the village forest reserves and in other land use
types, incuding agroforests and fallow lands. These included Millettia usaramensis, Dialium holtzii, Ficus
thonningii, Deinbollia borbonica, Diospyros mespiliformis and trees of the genus Albizia.
The presence of East Usambara endemic and threatened plant species in the village forest reserves shows
that these forests play an important role in the conservation of the region‟s unique and threatened biodiversity.
In addition, the trees in the Village Forest Reserves are used by the local people for various purposes, e.g. for
timber, poles, local medicines and fruits. This is discussed in detail in the Resource Use Survey in section six
of this report.
The study also recorded several valuable species in other land cover types than the village forest reserve. For
instance, some important timber tree species, including Milicia excelsa, were recorded in fallow lands,
agroforest plots and mixed farming areas. The trees are either sold outside the village or utilized by the
villagers. Furthermore, the existence of these tree species outside the forest reserves shows that also the nonreserved
areas in the landscapes support valuable tree resources. Hence, while planning conservation
strategies, the management of the tree resources outside the forest reserves should be addressed.
2.4.2 Other potential plant resources
Food and cash crops were recorded in several land use types including agroforest, mixed farming,
monoculture and fallow land. Plant resources which were mentioned by the respondents to be used for food
ranged from tubers and stems to fruits and seeds. The plants used for food included cassava (Manihot
esculenta), sugarcane (Saccharum offinacirum), maize (Zea mays) and banana (Musa sp.). Cash crops
cultivated included cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), cinnamon (Cinnamonum sp.), clove and sugarcane.
Most of the food and cash crops co-existed with other plants, including timber trees growing in the agroforests
and fallow lands. The local people also used the tree resources in these areas to get different products, such
as firewood and timber.
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