A Review of the Literature of African Blackwood- Dalbergia melanoxylon, Guill. and Perr

The African Blackwood Conservation Project (ABCP) in Tanzania conducted a review of the literature on D. melanoxylon (African Blackwood) or Mpingo in the late 1990s (over twenty (20) years ago). Additionary, It is nineteen (19) years since the last population study and population density was conducted and seventeen (17) years since last inventory study was taken. Today studies on propagation, tissue culture, population and harvesting activities of the species have brought new information to be noted. Recent research on this species' propagation methods has piqued the interest of researchers, who are now looking forward to how they can save the species from becoming threatened or extinct, which can be caused by its low regenerative ability in natural environments. It was now a proper time to add new information to the literature of D. melanoxylon from various recent findings covering about thirteen (13) years from the last review of the literature of the species from 2000-2014 and now is (20) years ago from 2000. This literature review was written to provide useful information for researchers looking into advanced propagation strategies for this species, such as tissue culture and mycorrhiza association, as well as recent studies on the species. This review has also exposed the threats of the species, recent population status of the species in Tanzania, recently recommended research to be taken in consideration, ethnobotanical and ecological literatures as previous and early findings were not able to take botanists to the advanced propagation techniques which have been reported recently and finally Biology and silviculture of Dalbergia melanoxylon.