Recruitment of Pterocarpus angolensis in the wild

Pterocarpus angolensis is a hardwood species subject to heavy exploitation throughout miombo woodlands of south-central Africa. Rates of natural recruitment measured in western Tanzania were found to be low, with only a third of parent trees generating any seedlings despite considerable seed production. Although heavily protected areas supported large parent trees, these adults had very few seedlings of >5 cm DBH nearby, possibly suggesting mortality caused by high densities of browsing ungulates. Outside these well protected areas, cutting has removed most large trees and remaining adults are small producing relatively few seeds. Factors affecting recruitment include location and elevation perhaps indicative of higher precipitation, whereas short grass and reduced parent canopy cover are associated with more seedlings suggesting competition for light. Given these recruitment rates, the prognosis for sustainable exploitation of P. angolensis looks bleak.