Interactive Suitable Tree Species Selection and Management Tool for East Africa- Rwanda

This dataset was moved to: https://doi.org/10.34725/DVN/RLQV3H1. The tool aims at promoting tree diversity on farm and in landscapes, including useful exotic tree species that the existing vegetation maps do not capture. The tool currently consists of 115 (54 native and 61 exotic) tree species in Rwanda, disaggregated according to agro-ecological zone suitability. The database enables the user to easily access information either based on tree species, their agro-ecological zone suitability, products, environmental services, origin (native or exotic) and niche. The tool also provides specific details on the trees’ biophysical growth conditions and management requirements as well as links to other agroforestry databases. 2. The tool contains rich information from knowledge-intensive and detailed tree diversity studies: The tool is a composite of different studies and surveys done by working with different stakeholders such as researchers, farmers, extension workers and local partner organizations. These include: o Tree diversity studies- shows the current tree diversity trends o Local knowledge studies- captures tree species according to niche locations, most important tree and preferred tree niches. Historical timelines captures tree species that have been lost or are close to extinction, as well as reasons for these trends. o Baseline studies- captures patterns of tree adoption on farms o Seed and Seedling System surveys- captures what tree species farmers are planting currently, including the most popular tree species, which implies future trends o Land Degradation Surveillance Framework: presents biophysical assessment of tree distribution, including tree density o Literature review- such as the Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia- was used to provide additional information such as: biophysical growth conditions, management practices etc and in addition to triangulate information already captured through the other approaches 3. Tracking tree species’ trends: The tools provide an insight into the past, present and future tree species trends on landscapes. Source of information for each tree species, which is guided by the studies named in 2 above is provided (by an asterisk). Double asterisk signifies trees that are deemed most important by farmers in a given area. 4. Scalability: Information provided in the tool can be easily used to select suitable tree species for scaling up and scaling out agroforestry interventions to similar agro-ecologies. 5. Further it is possible to update information on the tool as more tree species are encountered. Science with grass-root impacts: The tool is interactive and targets a wider audience for promoting ‘Research in Development’ agenda: The tool is easy to use and targets not only researchers but also local extension workers, who are key in scaling up and out agroforestry in interventions. It provides local names of tree species that can easily guide the users at the local level to identify the tree species. We hope to explore ways of packaging the information in forms that can be readily available to local partners like CDs etc.

本数据集已迁移至：https://doi.org/10.34725/DVN/RLQV3H1。本工具旨在促进农田与景观中的树木多样性，涵盖现有植被地图未收录的有益外来树种（exotic tree species）。当前该工具包含卢旺达境内的115个树种，其中本土树种（native tree species）54种、外来树种61种，且按农业生态区（agro-ecological zone）适宜性进行分类。该数据库支持用户基于树种、其农业生态区适宜性、产品、环境服务、起源（本土或外来）及生态位（niche）便捷获取相关信息。此外，工具还提供树木生物物理生长条件、管理要求的详细信息，以及指向其他农林业（agroforestry）数据库的链接。

2. 多源知识整合的树木多样性信息：本工具整合了多类知识密集型精细化树木多样性研究与调研成果，其数据来源于与研究人员、农户、农业推广人员及本地合作组织等多方利益相关者合作开展的各项工作，具体涵盖：
• 树木多样性研究：揭示当前区域树木多样性的变化趋势
• 本土知识研究：基于生态位位置记录树种信息，明确区域核心树种与优先关注的生态位；同时通过历史时间线记录已消失或濒临灭绝的树种及其变化原因
• 基线研究：记录农户在农田种植树木的模式与规律
• 种苗系统调查：记录当前农户种植的树种品类，其中最受欢迎的树种数据可用于预判未来发展趋势
• 土地退化监测框架（Land Degradation Surveillance Framework）：开展树木分布的生物物理评估，包括树木密度测算
• 文献综述：参考《埃塞俄比亚实用树木与灌木》（Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia）等资料，补充生物物理生长条件、管理措施等相关信息，并对通过其他途径获取的信息进行交叉验证

3. 树种趋势追踪：本工具可助力分析景观中树种的过去、当前及未来变化趋势。每个树种的信息来源均已标注（以单星号*标记），标注依据为上文第2部分提及的各类研究。双星号**则代表特定区域内农户认定的核心重要树种。

4. 可扩展性：工具中收录的信息可便捷用于筛选适宜树种，以在同类农业生态区推广农林业干预措施，实现规模化落地与范围拓展。

5. 信息更新与基层应用：当发现新的树种时，可便捷更新工具内的相关信息。
本工具兼具基层应用价值的科研平台：其具备交互性，面向广泛受众以推动“研究促进发展”（Research in Development）议程落地。工具操作简便，受众不仅包括研究人员，还涵盖农业推广人员——后者是农林业干预措施规模化推广与范围拓展的核心群体。工具提供树种的本地名称，可帮助基层用户快速识别目标树种。团队未来将探索将信息以光盘等形式打包，以便本地合作方便捷获取。