Most of the tree species of commercial value in Zambia are used for timber production, as construction material and for making furniture products. Others are used for charcoal production, poles, soil improvement, fodder, medicines, turnery and many other uses. The table in appendix 2 shows a list of selected target species in Zambia and their current uses.
Forty-one indigenous tree species in Zambia produce edible fruit and seeds, 44 are good for animal feed, 38 for tannin production, 39 for dyes, 11 for resins and gums, and 30 for timber.
The closed forests, found in the Southern and Western parts of the country, contain two main commercial species; Baikiaea plurijuga (Zambezi teak) and Pterocarpus angolensis. These forests contain substantial quantities of Baikiaea plurijuga and Pterocarpus angolensis especially on the west bank of the Zambezi River.
The indigenous forests contain about 4 billion cubic meters of wood of which 5 percent is commercially exploited. The total roundwood production from natural forests is estimated to be 10 million cubic meters and 95 percent of the total roundwood production is used for fuelwood and subsistence use in rural areas. The industrial roundwood production from indigenous forests averages about 0.5 million cubic meters per year.
