DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gtht76hvq
title: Quantitative ethnobotany of multiple-use species and management of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

description: The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) in the Democratic Republic of Congo
 (DRC) faces significant challenges regarding the livelihoods of local
 communities and biodiversity conservation. The lack of scientific
 information on the spatial distribution of useful woody species hinders
 sustainable forest resource management and is a development constraint.
 This study, conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye on
 the outskirts of the protected area, aims to identify the most useful
 woody species, analyze their socio-cultural value, assess their uses based
 on local community involvement, and evaluate their abundance beyond
 village forests, to contribute to reforestation and conservation policies.
 An ethnobotanical survey of 105 households and a forest inventory of 9 ha
 were conducted to assess the abundance of 29 useful woody species. The
 results revealed that species such as Entandrophragma cylindricum
 (Sprague) Sprague & Hoyle, Petersianthus macrocarpus (P.Beauv.)
 Liben, Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Heckel, Scorodophloeus
 zenkeri Harms, Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth., Uapaca guineensis
 Müll.Arg., Blighia welwitschii (Hiern) Radlk., Chrysophyllum lacourtianum
 De Wild., Dacryodes edulis (G.Don) H.J.Lam, and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei
 (De Wild.) J.Léonard has high use and cultural value for local
 communities. The forest inventory showed that primary forests are better
 represented in terms of abundance and biomass of species with high use and
 cultural value, while fallow lands are less diverse and dominated by
 small-diameter trees. However, most of the useful species identified with
 high use and cultural value have low density/biomass or are absent in most
 of the plots in secondary forest and fallow land. These results underscore
 the urgent need to implement sustainable management strategies that
 include these species through traditional agroforestry projects. Such
 initiatives would enhance resource valorization, support local
 livelihoods, and reduce pressure on the YBR, contributing to the
 preservation of this biodiversity sanctuary and the promotion of
 sustainable forest management in the region.
description: # Quantitative ethnobotany of multiple-use species and management of the
 Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gtht76hvq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gtht76hvq) **Study Aim** This study aims to identify the most useful woody species and analyze their use value and cultural value based on local community knowledge, and then determine the abundance of these high-use-value species in village forests. Results contribute to sustainable wood resource management and conservation policies in the Yangambi landscape. The study combines ethnobotanical surveys with forest inventories. **Methods** * **Ethnobotanical surveys** were conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye. A pre-survey produced a list of 29 commonly used species. * Households were selected using purposive sampling based on length of residence, age, and social status: 33 households in Lilanda, 43 in Yaselia, and 29 in Bagbanye (~10% of households per village). * Respondents provided information on species uses, supply areas, and management techniques. * **Use categories** assessed: 1. **Use 1:** Construction 2. **Use 2:** Food 3. **Use 3:** Traditional medicine 4. **Use 4:** Trade 5. **Use 5:** Handicrafts 6. **Use 6:** Fuelwood * Responses were coded from **0 to 1** (0 = not used; 1 = used). * Statistical analyses were performed in **R Studio (v4.0.5)** using the ethnobotanyR package to calculate indices of cultural importance based on informant consensus. **Forest Inventory** * The 29 species were inventoried in three habitats: dense forest, secondary forest, and fallow land. * **Plots:** 4 plots of 50 m × 50 m per habitat, separated by 500 m. * **Abundance:** Species abundance per plot multiplied by 4 to obtain abundance per hectare. * **Tree measurements:** DBH ≥ 10 cm (Diameter at Breast Height at 1.30 m). * **Biomass calculation:** Height estimated using Feldpausch et al. (2011), biomass calculated using Chave et al. (2014). **Data Files (inside Data_analyse_ethnospecies_and_inventory_Yangambi_2024.zip)** 1. **Data inventory Yangambi landscape 2024.csv** * **Id:** Identification number * **Site:** Investigation village * **Common name:** Common name of species * **Scientific name:** Scientific name of species * **Family:** Family of the species * **DBH (cm):** Diameter at breast height in cm * **Habitats:** Forest area inventoried * **Plot:** Inventory plot number * **WD:** Wood density * **Height_Feldpausch2011 (m):** Tree height (Feldpausch et al., 2011) * **Biomass (kg):** Tree biomass 2. **Ethnobotanic index (Bagbanye, Lilanda, Yaselia).csv** * **UV:** Use value index * **CVe:** Cultural value for ethnospecies * **FCs:** Frequency of citation per species * **Nus:** Number of uses per species * **RIs:** Relative importance index * **URs:** Use report per species 3. **Data Ethnobotanic (Lilanda, Yaselia, Bagbanye).xlsx** * **Informant:** Anonymized identifiers for knowledge holders * **Sp name:** Species name * **Use 1:** Construction * **Use 2:** Food * **Use 3:** Medicinal * **Use 4:** Commercial * **Use 5:** Craft * **Use 6:** Wood energy 4. **Data abundance Yangambi landscape 2024.xlsx** * Abundance per plot × 4 for three forest habitats per village 5. **Use species.xlsx** * **FL:** Percentage of preference of a species for a specific use * Abundance of the species in the village forest * Biomass for construction, trade, crafts, and wood energy ## Code/Software * **R Studio (v4.0.5)** * **R package:** ethnobotanyR