Survey and Inventory of Amani Botanical Garden - Preface

The Amani Botanical Garden was initially developed as the trial plantations of the "Biologisch Landwirtschaftlische Institut, Amani" established in 1902 by the Government of German East Africa. Between 1902 and 1914 about 200 ha, of the total area of 350 ha, were developed as trial plantations including close to 1,000 different indigenous and exotic species from similar ecological zones in the tropics. Some where established in clear trial blocks and plantations, while others were planted in the residential and office areas of the research centre. These plantations now form what is known as the Amani Botanical Garden, more appropriately perhaps termed an arboretum, which still is one of the largest botanical gardens in Africa.

A thorough inventory of the Amani Botanical Garden was made in 1934 by the botanist of the East African Agricultural Research Station, P. J. Greenway. The East Usambara Catchment Forest Project (EUCFP), in collaboration with TAFORI, is publishing a reprint of the report this year. Another similar survey was also done in 1961-62 by B.L. Honess. In the late 1980's the East Usambara Agricultural Development and Environmental Conservation Project, with the help of the Tanzanian botanist Mr. C. Ruffo, conducted a survey in the ABG. This work was, however, not completed.

In 1992 the EUCFP commissioned a rehabilitation plan from TAFORI which has been complemented but further work is require. Since 1995, the project has been in touch with the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew in the UK on collaboration in rehabilitation of the garden. In 1995, the TAFORI Officer in-charge of the ABG was sent to Kew Botanical Garden for an diploma course on botanical garden management, and he also participated in the visit to Limbe Botanical Garden in Cameroon in January 1997.

The Amani Botanical Garden is one of the key attractions for the Amani Nature Reserve and the rehabilitation of the garden will be one of the major priorities for the project from 1998 onwards. Once the maps and the report is completed, the EUCFP has sufficient information to enable the development of a rehabilitation and management plan. During 1997, in connection with the Amani Nature Reserve Management Plan, aims, priorities, proposed activities and plans, will be completed for the Amani Botanical Garden. This survey and re-mapping of the ABG is one of the steps in restoring the past glory of the Amani Botanical Garden.

Stig Johansson
Chief Technical Adviser

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