Native Africa Trees; Diversity, Distribution and Conservation status

Documenting the distribution of biodiversity and understanding its patterns are fundamental steps in developing effective conservation strategies and planning for the sustainable use of these resources in the future. This study was initiated with the goal of organizing information on native tree species in Africa, specifically focusing on their diversity, distribution, and conservation status. Data on native tree species from each African country were downloaded from publicly available online sources, primarily from BGCI, RAINBIO, WFO, and IUCN. The datasets for each of Africa's 58 countries were compiled in Microsoft Excel 2019 by adding two columns (country and sub-region), and the data were then analyzed to assess tree diversity and distribution. Similar taxonomic data were merged from the APCD and RAINBIO databases. Taxonomic diversity and distribution were analyzed using R (version 4.4), while conservation status data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019.The results of the study indicate that Africa is home to 9,304 native tree species, belonging to 48 orders and 155 plant families. Of these, 99.25% (9,234 species) are angiosperms, and the remaining 67 species are gymnosperms. Madagascar is the most species-diverse country, with 3,204 native tree species. Other highly diverse countries include Cameroon (2,047 species), Congo (2,028), Tanzania (1,753), and Gabon (1,689). Among the 9,304-native species, 50.51% (4,705 species) are narrow endemics, found only in one African country. Of these, 78.18% (3,827 species) are found exclusively in East Africa, 13.79% (675 species) in Middle Africa, 0.51% (35 species) in North Africa, 5.29% (259 species) in Southern Africa, and 2.23% (109 species) in Western Africa. Additionally, 61.2% (5,694 species) are considered threatened based on IUCN Red List criteria. East Africa alone accounts for 63.73% (5,930 species) of all threatened native tree species, making it the most threatened sub-region. Approximately 50% of Africa's native tree species are not conserved ex situ or in situ. Overall, the findings suggest that East Africa, with its high diversity and threat levels, is the most critical sub-region for conservation efforts. Immediate action is needed to conserve narrow endemic and threatened tree species across the continent. Given the limited information available on their propagation methods, further research is essential to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of these important resources.Keywords Native Africa Trees, Distribution, Taxonomy, conservation status