Abstract

Spatial distribution of tree resources outside forest in Shyorongi, Rwanda.
Track: Agriculture
Authors: Jean Nduwamungu

More than 90% of the population in Rwanda practice subsistence agriculture. Farms are fragmented due to high population density. Cultivation has replaced forests. Forest products are mainly obtained from woodlots and trees scattered on farmlands. Tree resources outside forest (TROF) have become critical in reducing the pressure on remaining forests. This paper reports on a study to assess spatial distribution of TROF in relation to different land use systems. Ikonos image was used to classify land uses using ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 and ArcGIS 10 used to map land use systems. The results show that the pasture land use system has the highest TROF basal area, number of trees and species richness per hectare. The highest number of tree stumps occurred in cropland meaning that TROF are more harvested in cropland than in other land uses. Therefore, on farm tree planting schemes and improved agroforestry technologies should be initiated on croplands.