KAMPALA, December 5, 2024 — Indigenous trees are native to a particular region or ecosystem and have over time adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Uganda has more than 800 indigenous tree species; For example, Mukazannume [Warburgia Ugandensis], Mugavu [Albizia Coriaria], Musambya [Markhamia Lutea], Musizi [Maesopsis Eminii], Entasesa [Prunus Africana].
These trees play a crucial role in Uganda’s ecosystems, providing habitat and food for wildlife, enhancing soil structure, sequestering carbon dioxide, and promoting nutrient recycling. Indigenous trees are not only renowned for their ecological or environmental benefits but also for their economic and cultural significance. They are a source of timber, food, and fuel, and have a cultural significance in the different regions of Uganda. Various cultures rely on them for herbal medicines and associate them with traditional practices and beliefs.
Unfortunately, natural forests have been encroached upon and indigenous trees cut down for settlement, to plant fast-growing exotic trees, and more. This rapid destruction is leading to the potential extinction of some of these critical contributors to our ecosystem, and climatic conditions. For example, Entasesa and Mukazannume were recorded on the 2020 IUCN red list as threatened tree species. The Ministry of Water and Environment reports that Uganda has experienced severe deforestation with forest cover declining from 4.9 million hectares in 1990 to 1.8 million hectares by 2018, especially on private land.
In view of this, the European Union has passed new regulations to curtail Europe’s contribution to global deforestation and forest degradation , the European Union Deforestation Regulation [EUDR]. The EUDR aims to ensure that products such as coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, cocoa, and their associated products, imported, exported or traded with the European Union market are not associated with deforestation or forest degradation. In particular, these regulations are seen as a cure for deforestation caused by agricultural expansion.
Europe remains a major market for Ugandan products such as coffee, accounting for 55 percent of all coffee exports by some estimates with Italy as the main market. So for Ugandan coffee to be placed on the EU market, the coffee must be produced from land not subject to deforestation from December 31, 2020.
One way farmers can comply with these regulations is through indigenous tree planting using the agroforestry approach.
Agroforestry integrates trees into farming systems and presents a promising solution to address multiple economic and environmental challenges. The indigenous trees extend immense benefits to other crops thus, enhancing farm productivity, improving water retention in the soil, maintaining the soil’s nutrients, and promoting biodiversity conservation.
Per a 2019 study titled, Economies and Ecologies of Indigenous vs Exotic Shade Trees: Experience for Coffee Based Agro-Forestry Systems in Kodagu , the number of indigenous trees per hectare had a positive influence on the productivity of Arabica coffee. Additionally the incidence of White Stem Borer in Arabica, a pest, was lower on coffee estates that had a higher number of indigenous trees. There is evidence that the shade from native trees creates a micro climate which slows the ripening of coffee cherries resulting in larger , heavier and more flavourful beans.
Importantly, the indigenous tree species do not have many of the drawbacks associated with exotic trees. Despite the rampant planting of exotic tree species in agricultural landscapes, many such as eucalyptus tree species deplete subsurface resources including water and essential nutrients, competing with native vegetation and proving unsustainable for erosion control. Furthermore, the leaves of many exotic species release allelochemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants thereby threatening local biodiversity. Land previously occupied by these tree species is often challenging to reclaim for agricultural use.
For the past four years, TUKUUMA, a youth-founded, Ugandan, environmental organisation has successfully promoted the conservation of threatened Indigenous trees in the Mukono district. TUKUUMA has partnered with community members, primarily farmers to plant over 40,000 Indigenous trees in Mpatta Subcounty, like Entasesa [Prunus africana] and Mukuzannume [Warburgia ugandanesis], integrating them with food crops and cash crops, including coffee, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, cocoa, and soursop.
Therefore we strongly advocate and recommend that farmers consider – afforestation, critically the planting of indigenous trees not only to meet the EUDR, or to conserve the now threatened species, but to also increase and improve their crop yield.
The author is the Team Lead at TUKUUMA
https://thecooperator.news/king-oyo-urges-subjects-to-plant-trees-to-combat-climate-change/
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