Towards sustainable management of African rosewood in West and Central Africa: a scoping review of current research

Abstract

Owing to decades of inordinate exploitation of African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus) and threats to its sustainability, multiple efforts by researchers to ensure its restoration and conservation have led to a proliferation of research and knowledge. The multiplicity of research and knowledge has left a gap in developing a coherent conservation and sustainable management strategy for the species because, the body of knowledge is not well-organized, it is patchy and sometimes conflicting. This study addresses this gap by consolidating the existing body of knowledge on the species through a scoping review of 225 publications on rosewood (1974–2020) in West and Central Africa. The results present current knowledge, gaps, and future research needs for the restoration, sustainable utilisation and conservation of rosewood in nine thematic areas namely; genetics, ecology, silviculture and forest management, wood technology, regeneration, propagation and growth, pharmacology, socioeconomic use, trade and governance, microorganic symbiosis, and climate change vulnerability.