Download Traditional Botanical Gardens as a Tool for Preserving

International Conference on Traditional Forest Knowledge and Sustainable Forest Management in
Africa; Accra, Ghana; 15-17 October 2008
Traditional Knowledge on Tree Characteristic and Uses for
Agroforestry in Ghana
Ebenezer Owusu-Sekyere
Forestry and Wildlife Unit, Forests, Livelihood & Sustainable Development Division
Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG)
UP Box 63, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Kumasi,
Ghana
Email: [email protected]
Traditional method of farming has been the shifting cultivation. Some tree species are
deliberately left on farms to serve different functions. The farmers, through constant
association with the trees, have observed field behaviours and influences of the tree
species on the environment. Importance of the tree-crop associations has been
known through long history of farming systems and the knowledge handed over to
later generations. Farmers’ wealth of knowledge about tree-crop associations are
crucial for the development of agroforestry systems. Trees left on farms are normally
selected based on several factors including; Tree characteristics and habit, tree
canopy architecture, structure, texture, extent, etc in combination with crops,
Ecological, biological & engineering functions, Traditional uses; subsistence &
commercial, the value of the tree parts e.g. medicines, housing, food, fuelwood,
religious, etc. Hence, local names of plants and tree species are derived from
functions, attributes, uses, other special characteristics and history of their discovery.
Tree species and their local names are used for identifications and information on
their renaissance must be documented. Local names in different languages may
have similar meanings and are useful for tree species identification, nomenclature
and uses.