Countries

Description of plantation resources

Introduction

According to the national land cover and land use reconnaissance carried out in 1996, the total forest area is about 40 000 000 ha, of which 130 000 ha are plantations. Forests account for approximately 46 percent of the total land area.

The most important wood product is fuelwood and the demand for fuelwood is predicted to increase (FBD, 1998a). Tangible and marketed products of the forest sector such as timber and fuelwood contribute about three to four percent to GDP (FBD, 1998b). The forestry sector provides employment to more than 700 000 people per year (MNRT, 1998).

Development of forest plantations

No information available.

Species composition

Approximately ten percent of the industrial plantations consist of broadleaved species such as Eucalyptus spp., Tectona grandis and Acacia spp. Coniferous industrial plantations are mostly Pinus spp. Cupressus spp. was also used for a fair proportion of the industrial plantations, but its use declined after damage by Cupressii cinara aphids (FBD, 1998b).

Trend

To meet increasing demand and secure sustainable resources, strategies have recently been revised. The latest strategy is included in the revised Forestry Policy endorsed in 1998. The main feature concerning plantations is to promote privatization and commercialization (FBD, 1998b). To meet the demand for fuelwood, establishment of private plantations will be encouraged. Concerning biodiversity conservation, the replacement of natural forests by exotic plantations will be minimized (MNRT, 1998).

Issues

Forest resources are facing great and increasing threats from deforestation and degradation caused by fires, shifting cultivation, overgrazing and uncontrolled tree felling without afforestation or reforestation. There is little effort to improve this situation due to poor economic conditions and uncoordinated efforts of land users (FBD, 1998a,b).

Forest management plans have not been adequately updated and silvicultural operations and regeneration plans have not been implemented (MNRT, 1998).

References

APCC. 1998. Coconut statistical yearbook 1997. Jakarta, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community.

FBD. 1998a. The state of forestry in Tanzania: Country report. In 11th Session of African Forestry and Wildlife Commission. Dakar, April 13-17, 1998. Dar es Salam, Forestry and Beekeeping Division.

FBD. 1998b. Country reports, Forestry data. In Workshop on Data collection and analysis for sustainable forest management in ACP countries. Nakuru, Kenya, October 12-16, 1998. EC-FAO Partnership Programme (1998-2000), project GCP/INT/679/EC. Dar es Salam, Forestry and Beekeeping Division.

MLNRT. 1989. Tanzania Forestry Action Plan, Technical annexes, 1. Dar es Salam, Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Tourism.

MLNRT. 1996. Questionnaire reply to FAO on the evaluation of forest plantations. Dar es Salam, Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Tourism.

MLNRT. 1998. National forest policy. Dar es Salam, Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Tourism.

Pandey, D. 1998. Forest plantation areas 1995. November 1997, revised July 1998. En Report to the FAO project GCP/INT/628/UK (unpublished).