# Quantitative Ethnobotany of Multiple‐Use Species and Management of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

## TL;DR

This study identifies valuable woody species in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve and finds that their scarcity in village forests pushes communities to harvest them from protected areas, suggesting agroforestry could help preserve the region.

## Contribution

The study provides ethnobotanical data on high-value woody species and their spatial distribution, supporting sustainable management strategies in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve.

## Key findings

- Species like Entandrophragma cylindricum and Dacryodes edulis have high use and cultural value but are scarce in village forests.
- Primary forests have higher abundance and biomass of valuable species compared to fallow lands and secondary forests.
- Agroforestry projects using these species could reduce pressure on the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve.

## Abstract

The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces significant challenges regarding the livelihoods of local communities and biodiversity conservation. The lack of scientific information on the spatial distribution of useful woody species hinders sustainable forest resource management and is a development constraint. This study was conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye on the outskirts of the protected area and aimed to identify the most useful woody species, analyze their socio‐cultural value, assess their uses based on local community involvement, and evaluate their abundance beyond village forests to contribute to reforestation and conservation policies. An ethnobotanical survey of 105 households and a forest inventory of 9 ha were conducted to assess the abundance of 29 useful woody species. The results revealed that species such as Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague and Hoyle, Petersianthus macrocarpus (P.Beauv.) Liben, Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Heckel, Scorodophloeus zenkeri Harms,
Pentaclethra macrophylla
Benth., Uapaca guineensis Müll.Arg., Blighia welwitschii (Hiern) Radlk., Chrysophyllum lacourtianum De Wild.,
Dacryodes edulis
(G.Don) H.J.Lam, and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (De Wild.) J.Léonard have high use and cultural value for local communities. The forest inventory showed that primary forests are better represented in terms of abundance and biomass of species with high use and cultural value, while fallow lands are less diverse and dominated by small‐diameter trees. However, most of the useful species identified with high use and cultural value have low density/biomass or are absent in most of the plots in secondary forests and fallow land. These results underscore the urgent need to implement sustainable management strategies that include these species through traditional agroforestry projects. Such initiatives would enhance resource valorization, support local livelihoods, and reduce pressure on the YBR, contributing to the preservation of this biodiversity sanctuary and the promotion of sustainable forest management in the region.

Woody species with high use value are identified, and their abundance in village forests is assessed through the forest inventory. Species with high use and socio‐cultural value are in low density in village forests around the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR). Scarcity of species with high use and socio‐cultural value encourages communities to foray into the protected area of the YBR to harvest the products of these resources. Use of species with high use value in agroforestry projects around the YBR will help reduce pressure on natural resources in this protected area.