Contribution on the domestication of forest plants used by peasants from the Kahuzi-Biega national park: the cases of Arundinaria alpina in Eastern part of Congo Democratic Republic

摘要

This work has been carried out in Eastern of Congo-Kinshasa region. It aims to show domestication possibilities of Arundinaria alpina (Kahuzi variety) out of the forest. Arundinaria alpina is one of the wild plant species of Kahuzi-Biega National Park which are mainly consumed by chimpanzees. However, these wild plants are also exploited by peasants neighbouring the park for many purposes including house building, medicines,... The agricultural trial of Arundinaria alpina in South-Kivu rural areas,has shown that 50 slips of the bamboo planted per hectare yield after 54 months, 600 to 1700 stems of adult bamboos/ha/year. A survey within the park has shown that under natural conditions, 50 observed clusters could normally bear 2200 adult stems/ha/year. It means that the South-Kivu peasants could easily row the bamboo under the villages by integrating it in their agroforestery farming systems and stop ravaging natural resources of the national park. Such kind of practice will help to protect the Eastern Congo-Kinshasa biodiversity.