Community preferences for tree species for household wood products in Vanuatu: A summary of four surveys

Abstract

Four surveys which gathered information from rural communities on useful tree species in Vanuatu have been reviewed and summarized. The surveys were undertaken from 1990 to 1993 and concentrated on species used for fuelwood and local construction. One survey also reported tree species useful for other purposes, such as fruit and nuts, edible foliage and customary uses. There were regional differences in species choices that could be related to the Northern, Central and Southern regions of the country. Popular fuelwood species included Macaranga spp., Hibiscus tiliaceus, Kleinhovia hospita, Dysoxylon spp. and the introduced Leucaena leucocephala. In general, people did not perceive any shortage of fuelwood. There were differences in preferences for fuelwood, depending on whether wood was required for open-fire pot cooking, open-fire roasting, or laplap (a kind of earth oven). Popular species for ground poles included Hibiscus tiliaceus, Flueggia flexuosa, Macaranga spp., Pterocarpus indicus, Bischofia javanica and lntsia bijuga, with some variations in preference between regions. Preferred species for aerial timbers for house construction included Macaranga spp., Flueggia flexuosa, Ficus spp., Kleinhovia hospita and Alphitonia zizyphoides. Species providing commercial timbers, such as Endospermum medullosum, Santalum austro-caledonicum and lntsia bijuga, are valued and are being planted, or wildlings cared for, on-farm. Important fruit and nut trees included Barringtonia edulis, Canarium spp., Syzygium malaccense, Pometia pinnata, lnocarpus fagifer, Burckella obovata and Dracontomelon vitiense. Tree species having multiple importance in customary use, such as Hibiscus tiliaceus, Macaranga spp., lntsia bijuga, Casuarina equisetifolia, Flueggia flexuosa, Kleinhovia hospita, Leucaena leucocephala, Barringtonia edulis and Acacia spp., are ranked highly.