Abstract
To develop silvicultural guidelines for high-value timber species of Central African moist forests, we assessed the performance of the pioneer Milicia excelsa (iroko, Moraceae), and of the non-pioneer light demander Pericopsis elata (assamela, Fabaceae) in logging gaps and in plantations in highly degraded areas in south-eastern Cameroon. The survival and size of each seedling was regularly monitored in the silvicultural experiments. Differences in performance and allometry were tested between species in logging gaps and in plantations. The two species performance in logging gaps was significantly different from plantations and concurred with the expectations of the performance trade-off hypothesis but not with the expectations of species light requirements. The pioneer M. excelsa survived significantly better in logging gaps while the non-pioneer P. elata grew significantly faster in plantations. The high mortality and slow growth of M. excelsa in plantations is surprising for a pioneer species but could be explained by herbivory (attacks from a gall-making psyllid). Identifying high-value native timber species (i) with good performance in plantations such as P. elata is of importance to restore degraded areas; and (ii) with good performance in logging gaps such as M. excelsa is of importance to maintain timber resources and biodiversity in production forests.
Highlights
Central African moist forests extend over 180 million hectares, constituting the world’s second largest continuous forest area after Amazonia
M. excelsa performed worse in plantations compared to the logging gaps, while P. elata showed the opposite pattern (Figure 2 and Table 1)
Identifying high-value native timber species with good performance in plantation is of extreme importance to restore degraded areas since plantations can facilitate forest succession in the understory through modification of both physical and biological site conditions [56]
Summary
Central African moist forests extend over 180 million hectares, constituting the world’s second largest continuous forest area after Amazonia. They provide an irreplaceable source of ecological, social and economic services for local populations, states and the international community [1,2]. Approximately 26% of the forested area in Central Africa is licensed to logging companies contributing significantly to national economies [1,2]. With mismanagement and the conversion of large tracts of West African forests to agricultural production, Central African forests are experiencing increased harvesting pressures, and this is true for the few timber species targeted by the extremely selective logging [5]. National regulations impose minimum cutting diameters for each targeted species and 20–30-year felling cycles, but barely on sound biological bases
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
