Grants & Prizes Ecological Opportunities Fund Honours, Awards and Prizes Building Capacity for Ecology Fund Honorary Member List Research grants General notes Grants to attend meetings & courses Grants to run meetings & events Grant reports List of Tansley Lectures

SEPG 2155 - Date Awarded 2003

Traditional Knowledge, management and use of Prunus africana in Chagga homegardens in relation to the tree’s ecology 

Mr. Dino Andrew

Abstract

The threatened tree species P. africana is found growing naturally in forests and homegardens of areas surrounding the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Popularly the species’ bark is exported from countries where it is found in Africa to European and US pharmaceutical industries. In Rombo district where this study was done the situation is contrary whereas farmers are unaware of the species export potential value. Although farmers in this area do not export the bark of the species, its population is still threatened to extinction because the tree is highly damaged and poorly managed. This report gives an overview of the status of the species in terms of abundance, distribution, size and damage as well as knowledge and uses by local people. This study pioneers for more detailed research covering a large area around the slopes of mount Kilimanjaro.

Full report: SEPG2155

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