Microberlinia bisulcata

Last updated

Microberlinia bisulcata
Microberlinia bisulcata-NMNH-2033102.jpg
Microberlinia bisulcata from Korup National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Microberlinia
Species:
M. bisulcata
Binomial name
Microberlinia bisulcata
Synonyms

Berlinia bisulcata(A.Chev.) Troupin

Microberlinia bisulcata is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae, a lowland rainforest tree that is found only in Cameroon. It is threatened by habitat destruction and exploitation. Common names include African zebrawood, tigerwood, zebrano and zingana. [2]

Contents

Description

Microberlinia bisulcata is a tall forest tree, growing to a height of up to 40 m (130 ft) with massive buttress roots, and towering above the canopy. The lower half of the cylindrical trunk is devoid of branches. The leaves are small and the flowers are pea-like. The roots have an ectomycorrhizal association with fungi in the soil. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Microberlinia bisulcata is endemic to southwestern Cameroon. It is present in Korup National Park, Loum Forest Reserve and on the northern and western foothills of Mount Cameroon. Records from elsewhere are unreliable. It occurs in lowland rainforest, typically in flat sandy areas. [1]

Uses

Zebrano wood Zebrano01.jpg
Zebrano wood

This tree is harvested for its valuable timber. The sapwood is 6 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) thick and clearly demarcated from the heartwood, which is pale yellow to light tan with dark streaks. The wood texture is coarse and the grain interlocking. The wood is moderately durable and is used for turnery, furniture-making and cabinet-making; it can be used to make objects such as tool handles, panelling and veneers. It is resistant to tunneling insects and moderately resistant to termites and wood-rotting fungi. [3]

Status

Microberlinia bisulcata is selectively felled for its timber and is threatened by habitat loss, with the forest being cleared to make way for agricultural land, palm oil plantations and oil extraction. It has been extirpated from part of its range in the foothills of Mount Cameroon, and is threatened by illegal logging in the forest reserve, but should be secure in Korup National Park. [2] Altogether, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the tree to be Critically Endangered. [1] Conservation efforts include collecting seeds, establishing tree nurseries and planting saplings in selected locations. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Cameroon</span> Active volcano in Cameroon near the Gulf of Guinea

Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its indigenous name Mongo ma Ndemi. It is the highest point in sub-Saharan western and central Africa, the fourth-most prominent peak in Africa, and the 31st-most prominent in the world. The mountain is part of the area of volcanic activity known as the Cameroon Volcanic Line, which also includes Lake Nyos, the site of a disaster in 1986. The most recent eruption occurred on February 3, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korup National Park</span>

Korup National Park is in the Southwest Province of Cameroon and extends over 1,260 km2 of mostly undisturbed primary forest. It is reputedly one of Africa’s oldest and richest tropical forests in terms of floral and faunal diversity. It is the most accessible rainforest national park in Cameroon with basic lodging infrastructure and a large network of trails open to visitors. The park is a popular birdwatching destination and famous for primate viewing. Researchers from various disciplines have been conducting biological studies in Korup for over three decades, generating a wealth of information on rainforest ecosystems.

<i>Microberlinia brazzavillensis</i> Species of legume

Microberlinia brazzavillensis is a tree in the family Leguminosae, found in West Africa. It is also called zebrano, zingana, and allen ele, and is commonly sold in the US as zebrawood. The tree is tall and straight, growing up to 40 m in height with a diameter of up to 1 m. The flower has white petals and, as other legumes do, the tree produces pods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cameroon</span>

The wildlife of Cameroon is composed of its flora and fauna. Bordering Nigeria, it is considered one of the wettest parts of Africa and records Africa's second highest concentration of biodiversity. To preserve its wildlife, Cameroon has more than 20 protected reserves comprising national parks, zoos, forest reserves and sanctuaries. The protected areas were first created in the northern region under the colonial administration in 1932; the first two reserves established were Mozogo Gokoro Reserve and the Bénoué Reserve, which was followed by the Waza Reserve on 24 March 1934. The coverage of reserves was initially about 4 percent of the country's area, rising to 12 percent; the administration proposes to cover 30 percent of the land area.

<i>Pericopsis elata</i> Species of flowering plant

Pericopsis elata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is known by the common names African teak, afromosia, afrormosia, kokrodua and assamela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameroon forest tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Cameroon forest tree frog, Leptopelis brevirostris, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is expected to occur in southwestern Central African Republic and in the Republic of the Congo, but no records have been confirmed from those countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The red tree frog, Leptopelis rufus, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeasternmost Nigeria, western Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, western Gabon, the lower Republic of the Congo, the lower Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. It has been confused with several other species, in particular with the palm forest tree frog Leptopelis palmatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern needle-clawed bushbaby</span> Species of primate

The northern needle-clawed bushbaby is a species of strepsirrhine primate in the family Galagidae. It is found in the coastal region of Cameroon and Nigeria, and on the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea in lower-elevation forests that provide its specialized diet of tree gum and resins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf scaly-tailed squirrel</span> Species of rodent

The dwarf scaly-tailed squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Uganda. The species is nocturnal and arboreal and lives in subtropical or tropical lowland rainforest. Membranes attached to its limbs and tail enable it to glide between trees. This squirrel is currently not considered to be threatened by habitat destruction; "much of the habitat within parts of the known range of this species is relatively intact, and the species is unlikely to be experiencing any significant declines."

<i>Lophira alata</i> Species of tree

Lophira alata, commonly known as azobé, ekki or thered ironwood tree, is a species of plant in the family Ochnaceae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Nauclea diderrichii</i> Species of plant

Nauclea diderrichii is a species of tree of the genus Nauclea in the family Rubiaceae. It is known by the common names bilinga, aloma, badi, kusia and opepe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo lowland rain forests</span> Ecoregion in Borneo

The Borneo lowland rain forests is an ecoregion, within the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, of the large island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It supports approximately 15,000 plant species, 380 bird species and several mammal species. The Borneo lowland rain forests is diminishing due to logging, hunting and conversion to commercial land use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross River National Park</span>

The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo and Oban . The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most of which consists of primary moist tropical rainforests in the North and Central parts, with mangrove swamps on the coastal zones. Parts of the park belong to the Guinea-Congolian region, with a closed canopy and scattered emergent trees reaching 40 or 50 meters in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douala Edéa National Park</span>

Douala-Edéa National Park, formerly known as Douala-Edéa Wildlife Reserve, is a national park in the Littoral Region of Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rumpi Hills</span> Mountain range in Cameroon

The Rumpi Hills are an undulating mountain range with its highest peak, Mount Rata about 1,800 m (5,900 ft) located between the villages of Dikome Balue and Mofako Balue, Ndian division in the Southwest region of Cameroon. The hills are situated at 4°50’N 9°07’E, cutting across four local councils, with the eastern slopes in Dikome Balue, southern slopes in Ekondo Titi, western slopes in Mundemba, and northern slopes in Toko local councils respectively. These hills are located about 80 km (50 mi) north of Mount Cameroon; about 50 km (31 mi) west of the Bakossi Mountains and some 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of the Korup National Park.

<i>Diospyros crassiflora</i> Species of tree

Diospyros crassiflora, commonly known as Gabon ebony, African ebony, West African ebony, and Benin ebony is a species of lowland-rainforest tree in the family Ebenaceae that is endemic to Western Africa. It is named after the West African state of Gabon, though it also occurs in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.

Uvariopsis korupensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Annonaceae endemic to Cameroon.

Pouteria adolfi-friedericii is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae, a tall, tropical forest tree. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The specific name adolfi-friedericii was given in honour of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, a German explorer in Africa. Its trade name muna is taken from Gĩkũyũ mũna.

Shorea parvifolia is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae, commonly known as light red meranti and white lauan. It is native to tropical southeastern Asia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cheek, M.; Cable, S. (2000). "Microberlinia bisulcata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2000: e.T30441A9550479. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T30441A9550479.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "African zebrawood: Microberlinia bisulcata". Global trees campaign. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  3. "Microberlinia bisulcata – A.Chev". Plants For A Future. Retrieved 17 October 2021.