Land Suitability Mapping of the Most Illegally Harvested Plant Species using a GIS-based Model in Uganda

Land suitability mapping reveals significant spatial variation in the potential habitats for six illegally harvested plant species in Uganda, with highly suitable areas concentrated in the western and southwestern highlands of the Albertine Rift. This study used a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) framework combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to integrate climatic variables, soil properties, topography, and land-use data, generating species-specific suitability maps. While montane species like Prunus africana and Arundinaria alpina showed restricted suitability in cooler, wetter highlands, adaptable species such as Albizia coriaria and Albizia gummifera exhibited broader distribution patterns. The findings highlight the potential for ex-situ conservation and ecological restoration outside protected areas, offering spatially explicit guidance to mitigate pressure on in-situ populations and promote sustainable management of valuable plant resources.

Muhesi, N., Nuwagira, U., Tinkasimire, R., & Hakiza, A. (2026). Land Suitability Mapping of the Most Illegally Harvested Plant Species using a GIS-based Model in Uganda. East African Journal of Environment and Natural Resources, 9(2), 266–288. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajenr.9.2.5017