A group of botanists from Benin Côte d’Ivoire, and Switzerland have launched the African Network of Palm Scientists to combat the decline of native palm species across the continent due to deforestation, overexploitation, and habitat loss.
Though Africa is home to relatively few palm species compared to other tropical regions (with 52 in Central Africa, 38 in West Africa, and 18 in East Africa), palms are essential to the continent’s social, economic, and cultural life, providing food, medicine, and construction materials.
Key Threats and Conservation Goals
African palms are disappearing, with species like Hyphaene guineensis and Sclerosperma profizianum becoming rare. The slow life cycle of palms with seeds taking months or years to germinate and plants growing slowly makes them highly vulnerable to harvesting pressure.
The new network, launched at a recent African flora conference in Ghana, aims to address several critical gaps:
• Sustainable Harvesting: Research is urgently needed to determine the exact time required for palms to regenerate, ensuring that harvesting practices are sustainable.
• Documentation Gap: Many species, such as the African fan palm (Borassus aethiopum) and raffia palm (Raphia hookeri), are poorly documented despite their widespread uses for wine, starch, and building materials. Scientists estimate at least 15% of native African palms are incompletely documented.
• Climate Change: The network must find ways to help palms adapt as rising temperatures and increased soil salinity threaten their survival.
Network Proposed Next Steps
The African Network of Palm Scientists plans to take four immediate actions:
• Threat Evaluation: Assess threats and propose conservation measures tailored to local realities.
• Classification and Research: Classify all African palm species, map their locations, and conduct research on their reproduction, germination, and genetic diversity.
• Food Security and Climate Adaptation: Research how palms can contribute to food security and climate adaptation, noting their importance to herbivores.
• Domestication Plan: Develop a domestication plan to promote the controlled growth of palms in farm plots and semi-controlled forest conditions. This would reduce pressure on wild populations, boost rural livelihoods, and integrate palms into agroforestry systems.
By pooling expertise and documenting traditional knowledge, the botanists hope to protect these culturally and economically vital plants before they disappear.