5.10 indigenous trees and their role in rural livelihoods examples from tihama region, repubic of...
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5.10 Indigenous trees and their role in rural livelihoods Examples from Tihama Region, Repubic of Yemen. Tihama zones and their native trees. Zone 3 Mid-land to mountainous RF: 300 to 400 mm/year EC:< 0.7dS/m Stretch:30 km. Zone 2 Arid/semi-arid lowland - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
5.10 Indigenous trees and their role in rural livelihoods
Examples from Tihama Region, Repubic of Yemen
Tihama zones and their native trees
Red Sea Coast
Zone I Arid coastal lowland RF: 50 - 100 mm/year EC >3 ds/m Stretch: 20 km
Zone 1: Mangroove, Dome and Nehal treesZone 2: Selam, Arack, Temariks and Haleg trees Zone 3: Daber and Sedr trees
Zone 2 Arid/semi-arid lowland RF: 100 to 200 mm/year EC:1-2 dS/m Stretch: 25 km
Zone 3 Mid-land to mountainous RF: 300 to 400 mm/year EC:< 0.7dS/m Stretch:30 km
Acacia Eherenbergiana Selam Tree
Some basic facts
Most imporant & dominant Land coverage: 22,000 ha (2005)
Resilient to drought: Grows well in areas with RF < 150 mm/year
Moderately tolerant to salinity High regeneration capacity No dominant stem Life span: 10 to 15 years Tree height: 3 to 5 m Length of thorns: 8 cm
Major benefits
Flowers Most loved by bees
Selam Honey Arguably the best Used for famous dishes: ‘Fata’
and ‘Bit Al-Sahan’, (bread with honey)
Cost: USD 30/liter
Selam Honey: Thick and dark
Major benefits
Leaves and thorns Best feed for goats Rich in proteins Effective in goat fattening
Major benefits
Stem - wood Charcoal production:
• Arguably the best
• Lits quick and stay lit long
• USD 5 per sack (about 20 kg)
Keteran: • Fluid extracted from charcoal
• Cure for animal (goat, sheep, camel) skin diseases
Charcoal production process
Cut tree, trim leaves, and burn in a controlled manner, to remove thorns
Pile thorn-free wood in good order Cover the piled wood with
sorghum/millet residues left over by animals
Charcoal production steps
Cover with metal sheet and then soil
Ignite wood through small opening – let it burn for a week. After three days, fluid shedby the burning wood (Keteran) can be collected by inserting a pipe through the opening.
Close opening with soil, allow 3 days for cooling
Un-earth the woods, break them down and pack them in sacks
Sell on site or deliver to the market
Words of caution and wisdom
While charcoal prodution is source of livelihood for some, it should be conrolled:
Selam Tree coverage has decreased from 44,000 ha in 1970 to 22,000 ha in 2005 (TDA records)
“Iza Labu Sheger Selam, Labu Alnob, Labu Alasel, Labu alkenem, Labu Alakel” (if there is no Selam Tree, there are no bees, there is no honey, there are no goats, there is no food), words of the old namdic father seen in the picure
Zizphus spina-christ Sedr/Elb/Argh
Some basic facts
Second to Selam, the most important tree
Sparsely puputated - area coverage estimate:10,000 ha
Sensitive to drought Requires 20 to 30 oC and
300 to 400 mm/year Sensitive to salinity
Needs EC < 0.7 dS/m Life span: 20 to 25 years Height of tree: 5 to 10 m Small thorns: 1 to 2 cm
Major benefits
Flowers: As loved by bee as that of Selam Elb/Sedr honey -
• As good as - some say better than - that of Selam
• Cost: USD 30/liter Fruits
Tihama Apple Suplementary food Mild sugary taste
Sedr honey: Thick and brownish
Major benefits
Fruits Believed to cure kidney problems
• Boil fruits • Thick juicy fluid will form• Filter the Juicy fluid - drink at least about
1 litre a day - you feel better in few weeks
Leaves and branches: Favourite feed for Camel Natural shampoo: keeps hair fresh
• Dry leaves • Grind and throughly mix with water to
form thick green fluid• Wash hair with the thick green fluid
Major benefits
Stem Strong, resistant to termite
species Bed legs and frame Yemeni people enjoy gat
(excitement plant) in such a bed
Farm implements• Plough• Spade and hoe handle
Fishing boats
Jaafar Hassan Alawi Al-Jeffri, Director of Agriculture and Extension Department in his Eusha, a traditional hut where he enjoys Kat
Word of Eminence
Sedr is the Selam tree to the highland inhabitants: it is the most important contributor to their livelihood
Sedr, together with Selam, is a blessed tree in the Kuran (Jaafar Hassan Alawi Al-Jeffri, Director of Agriculture and Extension Department, TDA)
Silvadora persicaArack tree
Some basic facts
Easy to uproot - its habitat is being constantly encroached by agricultural fields
Endangered specie – estimate is less than 3,000 ha
Resilient to drought: Fourishes with RF < 150 mm/year
Slow at regeneration No dominant stem Life span: 10 to 15 years Tree height: 4 -6 m No thorns
Major benefits
Roots Natutal tooth brush Raw material for tooth paste –
export to Saudi Arabia 2 cm long root costs 30 Yemeni rial
Fruits Green–unripe Redish when ripe Hot, spicy Supplied with almost every dish
Major benefits
Tree as a whole Effective in stoping sand dunes Labelled as second best (first being
Haleg) defence belt against sand dunes in the Munira village trial by the TDA Agricultural and Extension Department (see elaboration on slide 26)
Words of appreciation
Profet Mohamed, may peace and prayers of Allah be upon him, said:
“If I am not bothering you too much, I would ask you to brush your teeth (using Arack) five times – that is before each prayer time”
Balanites aegyptica Haleg
Some basic facts
Native to mountainous areas 20 to 30 oC, 300 to 450 mm/year
Performed well in the arid Munira Village (trial by Agriculture and Extension Department, TDA)
> 35 oC, 100 to 200 mm/year Moderate regenation ability
Moderately tolerant to salinity Dominant strong stem Life span: 20 to 25 years Maximum height: 5 - 10 m length of thorns: 5 – 8 cm
Major benefits
Stem Strongest and heaviest
(Sedr ranks 2nd) Best for traditional beds (slide 15) and traditional
house poles Best for fishing boats (Sedr is second best)
Leaves and branches Good Camel feed (Sedr is best, slide 14)
Fruits Small egg shaped Suppemtary food for children High protein content
One of the typical highland village huts, all poles are from Haleg
Major benefits
Though native to highland areas, survived drought and proved to be the best sand dune defence in Munira Village (Arack is second best, slide 20)
Munira town gets life: thanks to Haleg & Arack
Abondoned Munira Village houses due to sand dune
10 years back
Revival of abondoned houses after 12 lines of Arak and Haleg defence against sand dune
Task competed by TDA 3 years ago
Notice 3 layers in the wall – top layer constructed in the past 3 years – still little buried by sand dune
Dome (coconut) Tree
Some basic facts
Costal area plant, tolerant to salinity EC > 2.5 dS/m
Poor in regeneration Land coverage significantly reduced
2 miilion trees in 1970 0.5 million in 2005 Relentlessly cut for various hand craft materials Groundwater (major source of water) table lowered
from 2 - 5m (1970) to > 35 m (2005) Moderately tolerant to drought Dominat stem Height of tree: 15 to 30 m
Major benefits
Fruits supplementary food Top hard and rough layer is removed by
colliding two fruits or using a stone Layer beneath the cover is stif but
delciious, it is eaten raw Interiror layer is a hard shell , childred
use it for a swirling ball game. Leaves
Various hand crafts• Shopping baskets • Prayer mat• Bed sheets• Sun protection hut
Major benefits
Khel – Vinegar Salad dressing Soup
Procedure to make Khel Make a cut at the juncture between stem and leaves Tie a container just below the cut to collect
continously dripping thin liquid Add yeast to the liquid and let it stay for 40 days - it
becomes strongly alcoholic with a flavour of vinegar Dilute it with an equal volume of water Usually sold in small bottles (0.3 l)
for USD 5 per bottle
Note:Actual Photo/Video documentation can be done in March/April when Khel is actually being produced
Tamarix Athel
Some basic facts
Resilient to drought: RF < 150 mm/year Temperature > 35 oC
Moderately tolerant to salinity Poor regeneration capacity Dominant stem Height of tree: 5 to 15 m Life span: 15 to 25 years
Major benefits
Fence for agricultura area
Perfect good looking hut roofs
Debora glabraDaber
Some basic facts
Sensitive to drought RF: 300 to 450 mm/year Temperature < 30 oC
Sensitive to salinity Very slow in regeneration Dominant stem Height of tree: 10 m to 15 m Lifespan: 50 to 70 years
Major benefits
Stem Hole is drilled – store for farm
implements and farmers’ lunch Hole can be easily drilled
• Takes maximum 1 hour • Outer layer (3 to 5 cm ) is
strong and stiff• Inner part is soft
Fire wood Usualy dry old branches are
collected
Word of significance
Daber is persumably the oldest tree
It is long living tree Have been playing under the shade
of this tree since I was a kid. (words of the old father in the picture)
Daber is a home away from home for farmers
With Special Acknowledgements to
Jaafar Hassan Alawi Al-JeffriDirector, Agriculture and Extension DepartmentTihama Development Authority REPUBLIC OF YEMEN
Prepared under the documentation programme of ILEIA