Assessment of Street Tree Diversity, Structure and Protection in Planned and Unplanned Neighborhoods of Lubumbashi City (DR Congo)

Yannick Useni Sikuzani, Alex Mpibwe Kalenga, Jonas Yona Mleci, Dieudonné N’Tambwe Nghonda, François Malaisse and Jan Bogaert
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Yannick Useni Sikuzani: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Alex Mpibwe Kalenga: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jonas Yona Mleci: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dieudonné N’Tambwe Nghonda: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
François Malaisse: Biodiversity and Landscape Unit, Gembloux Agro-BioTech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Jan Bogaert: Biodiversity and Landscape Unit, Gembloux Agro-BioTech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: Street trees are always considered a vital part of urban green infrastructure in urbanized areas through mitigating the negative effects caused by urbanization taking part in human well-being. However, little is still known about their diversity, structure and protection, mostly in Lubumbashi city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), where the pace of urbanization is not only rapid but also unplanned. In this study, using an inventory, we have characterized the diversity, structure and protection measures of street trees along a land-use planning gradient in Lubumbashi for both planned and unplanned neighborhoods. From the results, a total of 1596 trees were encountered, comprising 40 species, 33 genera and 17 families, mostly dominated by exotic species (65%). In addition, most of the studied trees (63%) belonged to four species only ( Jacaranda mimosifolia , Leucaena leucocephala , Mangifera indica , and Acacia auriculiformis ) with Leucaena leucocephala and Jacaranda mimosifolia being highly represented in unplanned and planned neighborhoods, respectively. The most abundant diameter classes in the planned neighborhoods were those with at most 10 cm against the classes larger than 50 cm in the planned neighborhoods. In both neighborhoods, trees with protection equipment represent less than 35%. Furthermore, in planned neighborhoods notably, nearly half of the observed equipment is in a good condition. Despite the benefits associated with street trees, there is a need to reduce the proportion of exotic tree species by planting native utilitarian tree species.

Keywords: urbanization; street trees; diversity; alien species; ecosystem services; land use planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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