Quantitative Ethnobotany of Multiple‐Use Species and Management of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

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 was conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye on the outskirts of the protected area and aimed 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 <i>Entandrophragma cylindricum</i> (Sprague) Sprague and Hoyle<i>, Petersianthus macrocarpus</i> (P.Beauv.) Liben, <i>Ricinodendron heudelotii</i> (Baill.) Pierre ex Heckel, <i>Scorodophloeus zenkeri</i> Harms, <i>Pentaclethra macrophylla</i> Benth., <i>Uapaca guineensis</i> Müll.Arg., <i>Blighia welwitschii</i> (Hiern) Radlk., <i>Chrysophyllum lacourtianum</i> De Wild., <i>Dacryodes edulis</i> (G.Don) H.J.Lam, <i>and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei</i> (De Wild.) J.Léonard have 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 forests 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.