Les forêts vierges du Bassin du Congo - mythe ou réalité ?

Scientific conference (2013, March 21)

Les forêts du bassin du Congo ont longtemps été considérées comme des massifs historiquement épargnés par l'action de l'homme. Des résultats plus ou moins récents de recherches scientifiques remettent en ... [more ▼]

Les forêts du bassin du Congo ont longtemps été considérées comme des massifs historiquement épargnés par l'action de l'homme. Des résultats plus ou moins récents de recherches scientifiques remettent en question cette vision des forêt denses humides africaines. [less ▲]

Définition du profil écologique de l'azobé (Lophira alata Banks ex Gaertn F., Ochnaceae) dans les forêts sempervirentes du Cameroun

Poster (2012, February 08)

Ekki or L. alata is a commercial timber species in Guinea-Congolian region considered vulnerable (IUCN, 2011). Indeed, its population structure shows a severe lack of regeneration in some rainforests ... [more ▼]

Ekki or L. alata is a commercial timber species in Guinea-Congolian region considered vulnerable (IUCN, 2011). Indeed, its population structure shows a severe lack of regeneration in some rainforests (Palla et al., 2002). Moreover, in logging areas, insufficient knowledge about its ecological profile limits any reliable modeling of population dynamics on a long term. Consequently, original research, to improve its ecological characterization to ensure its sustainable management is conducted in moist evergreen forest in southern Cameroon. First results on population dynamics of this species show, in plots study of recruitment, a population without major deficit regeneration. On its silvicultural ability, although that estimated on plantations on parks under 2 years old, the trends of growth (ca 30 and 0.5 cm / year respectively in height and diameter) and mortality (3, 3% / year) suggest a positive perspective. Current work in relation to other topics of research should provide further insights into its ecological profile in the evergreen forests of Cameroon. [less ▲]

Ecological characterization of Lophira alata (Ekki), a vulnerable timber tree species, in order to develop silvicultural effective strategies

Poster (2011, December 02)

Ekki, Lophira alata Banks ex C.F.Gaertn., is an African timber species occurring in tropical rainforests. Of important commercial value, this species is logged for its excellent timber properties and has ... [more ▼]

Ekki, Lophira alata Banks ex C.F.Gaertn., is an African timber species occurring in tropical rainforests. Of important commercial value, this species is logged for its excellent timber properties and has been classified by the IUCN as «vulnerable" species. As for many other tropical tree species, the commercial exploitation of Ekki is confronted to an insufficient knowledge about the species’ ecological profile. With a distribution range limited to the Guinea-Congolian region, Ekki often displays insufficient natural regeneration, but the biotic and abiotic factors explaining this deficiency have been hardly characterized. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to model the population dynamics on the long term. The reproductive biology of Ekki and the genetic variability of its population remains poorly studied too. To address this situation, a fundamental and applied research is being undertaken in the forest concessions managed by Wijma Cameroun SA., covering over 250,000 hectares of rainforest in Southern Cameroon. This study aims to answer four essential questions: (1) what is the phylogenetic relationship between L. alata and L. lanceolata, (2) how paleoclimate and human disturbances impact its distribution and abundance, (3) how to these populations respond to logging over several rotation periods, (4) does logging promote or inhibit the natural regeneration of the species. Several study devices have thus been installed to collect the data needed to improve the characterization of Ekki’s ecology and to conceive silvicultural strategies. [less ▲]