Sub-Saharan Africa

Aménagement forestier et participation: quelles leçons tirer des forêts communales du Cameroun? (Forest management and participation: what lessons can we pull from communal forests in Cameroon?)

The authors compare forest management of large concessions to that of smaller communal forests. They describe a shift in forest management from the state to a more local and participatory framework at the level of the commune. Finally, the authors speculate whether this decentralization of power over the forests will result in more sustainable management practices for Central Africa tropical forests.

 

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Etude de la régénération naturelle assistée dans la région de Zinder (Niger) (Study of assisted natural regeneration in the Zinder region of Niger)

This report, which was submitted to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by International Resources Group (IRG), discusses assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in three departments in Niger, including Magaria, Matameye, and Mirriah. The authorss spoke with cultivators employing ANR practices in these areas and thus were actively protecting and managing the regrowth of their woody species of economic value. The report concludes by discussing the many positive impacts of assisted natrual regeneration and farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR).

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Régénération naturelle à faible coût dans le cadre de l’aménagement forestier en zones tropicales sèches en Afrique (Natural generation at low cost as part of forest management in African tropical dry landscapes)

The author examines effective, low-cost, and often-overlooked methods of natural regeneration by root suckering and terrestrial layering in African tropical dry forests. He suggests this method of regeneration for both inside and outside of forested areas.

 

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Le rôle des forêts et des arbres dans l’adaptation sociale à la variabilité et au changement climatiques (The role of forests and trees for social adaptation to climate change and variability)

The authors of this article give a broad overview of the role of forests and trees for adaptation to climate change. In doing so, they discuss the beneficial social outcomes from the trees, as well as their effect of creating more resilient agricultural systems. The authors end by suggesting further studies of ecosystem based management (EBM) practices.

 

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Les plantations forestières en afrique centrale: des sylvicultures nouvelles pour répondre aux nouveaux besoins des sociétés

The article provide several arguments for investing in tree plantations in central Africa where tropical wet and dry forests have been degraded and exploitation of forest resources is unsustainable. The authors give examples of benefits from native plantations in addition to exotic plantations. The article concludes by discussing the benefits tree plantations can have on society and the need for more scientific research on native tree plantations in central Africa.

 

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Parcs agroforestiers sahéliens: de la conservation à l’aménagement (Agroforestry parks of the Sahel: from conservation to management)

The authors describe the history of farmer managed wooded parklands in northern Cameroon. They note that a counter-productive ban on cutting from 1950-1990 provided a disinsentive for farmers to care for and plant young trees. Finally, the authors argue for implementation of farmer managed agroforestry parklands where parkland governance is mean to fall on local villages as opposed to local forestry department officers. In doing so, the authors provide suggestions for best practices in managing these wooded parklands for agroforestry.

 

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Régénération naturelle assistée: Gestion des arbres champêtres au Sahel (Assisted natural regeneration: management of wild trees in the Sahel)

The authors outline threats to forest regeneration in the Sahel, particularly with regard to agroforestry systems. Better agroforestry practices that incorporate assisted natural regeneration would allow for more sustainable availability of firewood and productivity of agroforestry systems. The authors strongly advocate for major changes in behavior and politics, including decentralization of authority over forest resources.

 

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Pratiques de restauration des zones degradees d’Afrique de l’Est (Restoration practices in degraded landscapes of Eastern Africa)

The author provides an introduction to the state of the land, i.e. extent of degradation in eastern Africa. He then goes on to discuss restoration practices and for degraded landscapes in eastern Africa. The author also provides an evaluation of reforestation practices currently in use. The author ends by reviewing successful technologies for reforestation in eastern Africa and offering suggestions for scaling up.

 

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Évaluation des impacts socio-économiques: cas d’unité forestière d’aménagement de la compagnie forestière Leroy-Gabon (Socio-economic Impact Assessment: The Case of the Leroy-Gabon Forest Management Unit)

Background

This article provides a socioeconomic impact assessment of forest operations by the Leory-Gabon forest company.

Research Goals & Methods

Data were collected in villages and forest-exploitation camps between 2001 and 2002. The study relied on group survey data and selected research villages that experienced direct effects of forestry that were located in the UFA1 forestry zone.

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Reverdir le Sahel: Le succès de la régénération (Regreening the Sahel: Regeneration success)

Open access copy available
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