managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the congo basin

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Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin R. NASI, A. BILLAND, N. VAN VLIET Technical Session: How does biodiversity help to manage high-value timber species, and vice-versa? October 9 th , Salt Lake City, XXIV IUFRO World Congress

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This session of the 2014 IUFRO World Congress explored how biodiversity positively impacts management of high-value timber species, (e.g., protection from pests and pathogens) and, conversely, how management for high-value species helps conserve biodiversity (e.g., how planted forests can conserve biodiversity).

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Page 1: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo

Basin

R. NASI, A. BILLAND, N. VAN VLIET

Technical Session: How does biodiversity help to manage high-value timber species, and vice-versa?

October 9th, Salt Lake City, XXIV IUFRO World Congress

Page 2: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Selective logging in the Congo Basin

Timber remains the sole managed commodity

Highly selective, few individuals (less than 2) of few high value commercial species (less than 5) represent more than 75% of the volume harvested (less than 10m3/ha)

Rotation cycles of about 25-30 years; Minimum cutting diameter rules; No post-harvest silviculture

The area under management and certification is increasing

Some (rare) examples of wildlife management in/near logging concessions

Page 3: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Land use km2

“Ordinary lands” 448,801

Logging concessions 595.381

Community forests ≈ 11.000

Protected areas 444,973

Source: Nasi et al, 2011

Biodiversity in the Congo Basin Plant diversity (trees, NTFPs)

• Directly impacted by logging activities and damage to residual stand

• Indirectly impacted by defaunation Animal diversity (“wildlife”)

• Directly impacted by logging activities• Indirectly threatened by hunting

Page 4: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Main issues for compatibility

Many tropical tree species have both timber and non-timber values that accrue to different stakeholders; wildlife is yet another story

Current certification schemes diverge for timber and NTFPs; doesn’t fully address wildlife

Forestry education and training biased towards timber Legal and regulatory frameworks dictated separately for

timber, wildlife and NTFPs Best harvesting practices/management protocols for NTFPs

or wildlife have little validation

Page 5: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Typology of logging impactsImpacts Directs Derived

Unavoidable

• Damage to residual stand• Disturbances (noise, light)• Fragmentation• Changes in C stocks

• Increased human presence (both temporary and permanent)

• Increased access to remote forests

Avoidable

• Soil erosion• Water course pollution• Reduced regeneration• …

• Increased deforestation• Increased fire risks• Favor invasive species• Increased hunting

Page 6: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Impact of certification on harvest intensity

Cerutti et al. 2011

Certified concessions have a significantly reduced harvesting intensity

Page 7: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Harvesting intensity and residual stands

Nasi & Forni, 2006

543210

Area

impa

cted

(%)

30

20

10

0 Rsq = 0.9427

Number of trees harvested/ha

Page 8: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

GroupeIndépendant

International

Aménagement en cours

Aménagé

Certifié

Non aménagé

2

34 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

20

21

22

23

26

1

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5

F2 (1

0.12

%)

- Actions concrètes +

+

D

iffic

ulté

s re

ncon

trées

-

- Ni les méthodes- Ni les capacités actuellement- Malgré quelques actions

- Vise la certification- Souhaite maintenir ses efforts- > 30 essences exploitéees

Pas encore de résultats

More Biodiversity activities ++

Mor

e pr

oble

ms

expr

esse

d

++

Sust. Mangt Plan under way

No Plan

With Plan Certified

No methodsNo capacitiesLimited activities

Basic intentions, Limited results Activities limited to

legal requirementLimited results

Motivated CEO and some staffLong term effortsEffective field activities

Billand et al. 2009

Pro-biodiversity activities in logging concessions

Only certified concessions show significant activities in favor of biodiversity

Page 9: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

A landscape approach: why?

High mobility of wildlife (migration, dispersal, extensive territories…) an importatn biodiversity component

Conserving Protected areas alone, will not be enough to conserve large sized/highly mobile species with huge ranges (e.g. Elephants) or locally rare plant species

The contribution of production forests to biodiversity conservation is increasingly recognized (e.g. North Congo where gorilla densities are higher in logging concessions than in the neighbouring NP)

Page 10: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Protected areas and logging concessions : surprisingly close neighbors

OFAC, State of Forest 2008

Page 11: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

National Parks

Logging Concessions

Hunting areas

Parks, Concessions, Hunting areas : where are flagship species ?Some surprising assessments

Number of ape nests/km2

OFAC, State of Forest 2008

Page 12: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

New land-use type

Combine several land uses (e.g. logging concession, protected area, CBFM…) in one land-use management unit that would become an

Integrated Production-Conservation Landscape

Page 13: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Environmentalservices

Local incomes

Taxes, fiscal revenues

Sustain rural populationMixed area : protected area and

conservation enterprise

ProtectedArea

Certifiedlogging

concession

Communityforest

Municipalforest

Agro-industry

Hunting,Gathering,Informalsectors

Urban, social space

Billand & Nasi 2006

Page 14: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Realize the economic potential of the conservation side

Manage informal sectors like hunting, fishing or NTFP extraction for local livelihoods so that part of these can be formalized (soft or hard)

Use part of the income generated by the industrial production side for the conservation area for reciprocal benefits

Foster certification (not limited to timber considerations)

Basic rules

Page 15: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Enabling conditions

Starting funds are needed to cover initial transaction costs The willingness of the production sector to engage into

certification or other biodiversity friendly practices The willingness of the conservation community to

collaborate, share experiences and support the private sector in integrating conservation concerns in management practices

A proactive political support (creating specific land-use units with specific instances for decision making) or, at least, neutral (no undue interference from the State).

Page 16: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin

Management principles at the landscape scale

Maintain landscape heterogeneity Maintain large structurally complex patches of natural

vegetation Create buffers around sensitive areas Maintain or create corridors and stepping stones Use appropriate disturbance regimes in management Maintain functional diversity Manage for keystone species Consider endemic, rare and threatened species

Page 17: Managing for high value timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin