Project Background

Population pressure and drought are causing deforestation and land degradation throughout the semi-arid parts of the African continent. Trees are needed in agricultural systems to provide fuelwood, fodder and shelter, to rehabilitate degraded land and particularly to increase the productivity of non-arable land. Once the traditionally preferred trees in the climax plant communities have disappeared, they cannot be re-established under the harsh conditions. Exotic species have rarely proved to be successful in this situation and the solution is increasingly being sought among the natural pioneers, particularly the acacias. There is a need for the farmers, and the scientist and extension workers who work on their problems, to be provided with information on the acacias in a form that will help them in their efforts to exploit the trees' potential.

Project Objectives

To assemble the large amount of published and unpublished material on the African acacias in forms that make it accessible to the scientist, the extension worker and the farmer.

Intended Outputs

• Indigenous acacia resource in Zimbabwe identified and its distribution, ecology, and uses described.
• All available information on the genetic variation, ecology, domestication, culture and uses of Faidherbia albida assembled.
• The acacia gum trade evaluated, species with potential for production identified and their production record and potential described.
• All the African acacias described with botanical drawings, photographs and distribution maps; their variation and ecology explained; their uses and potential for culture assessed.
• Botany, ecology, management, culture and uses of the 12 most important acacias in Zimbabwe described for extension workers and farmers.