Jozani biodiversity inventory report 2002 - Coastal Forests of Kenya ...

government of Zanzibar realized that apart from timber shortage the fast growing population
needed forest resources including marketable building poles, firewood and charcoal. Plantations
of fuel-wood and pole-producing species were introduced (Plates 27, 28). The plantations contain
hard wood species of Casuarina, two Acacia species and Gmeliana arborea. These species were
introduced because they are fast growing and adaptable to soil and climatic conditions. The
performances of these exotic species are presented together with other species in Appendix III,
Table 5 & Figures 2 &3.
There are no reports of enrichment plantations of the depleted indigenous timber trees of Milicia
excelsa and Afzelia quanzensis. Hard wood planting of Milicia excelsa in Pugu Forest Reserve
did not succeed due to insect infestation, but that doesn’t mean the same problem would be
encountered if this approach was applied in the Jozani Forest Reserve.
Thus the present approach of establishing hard wood plantations to meet local demands of
fuelwood, charcoal and building poles is an appropriate method of conservation to reduce
dependence on forest resources. Besides government plantations, local people have also been
encouraged to establish their own hardwood plantations especially of Casuarina equisetifolia. It
has been observed that wood supplies from government plantations are obtained at a lower
marketable price compared to wood supplies from private sources (Mwinyimkuu, personal
communication.). Government policy of financial considerations to local people’s rights on the
forest resources has had a positive impact on deforestation. Management of forest plantations has
gradually deteriorated since 1980’s to 1990’s due to financial problems, and because FINIDA,
which was financing the Jozani Project, has ceased supporting it. This has resulted in the poor
performances of plantations and unplanned forest harvesting (Plate 30). Casuarina plantations do
not regenerate from coppices where the Acacia species respond well. The Callophylum
inophyllum, Casuarina equesitifolia and Eucalyplus sp plantations in the groundwater habitat are
performing well by attaining largest DBH classes and tree heights. However, Casuarina,
especially, has been subjected to wind blow creating big gaps.
4.1.6 Conservation status and endemism of plant species
i) Conservation status
Conservation efforts at Jozani are confronted by political, economical and habitat degradation
issues arising from the surrounding villages (see interview responses in Appendix V). Major
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