Guibourtia ehie LC Taxonomic Authority: (A.Chev.) J.Leonard Global Assessment Regional Assessment Region: Global Endemic to region Synonyms Common names Copaifera ehie A.Chev. AMAZOUÉ French BLACK HYEDUA English OVANGKOL English
Upper Level Taxonomy Kingdom: PLANTAE Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA Class: MAGNOLIOPSIDA Order: FABALES Family: LEGUMINOSAE Lower Level Taxonomy Rank: Infra- rank name: Plant Hybrid Subpopulation: Authority:
General Information Distribution Guibourtia ehie is distributed in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria.
Range Size Elevation Biogeographic Realm Area of Occupancy: Upper limit: 1000 Afrotropical Extent of Occurrence: Lower limit: 0 Antarctic Map Status: Depth Australasian Upper limit: Neotropical Lower limit: Oceanian Depth Zones Palearctic Shallow photic Bathyl Hadal Indomalayan Photic Abyssal Nearctic Population G. ehie is a West African timber species which it is known to be common in its natural habitat (Keay 1964; UNEP 2007) and that it is generally found in small groups. It has been described as the commonest Guibortia in Nigeria (Keay 1989), as scattered in Gabon (Aubraville 1968) and as common in Ghana, mainly in the north-west of the country (Hawthrone 1995). But threatened by over-exploitation (Hawthrone 2006), suggesting that its frequency varies in each country and that research on population dynamic should be carried out to make sure of its status and health.
Total Population Size Minimum Population Size: Maximum Population Size: Habitat and Ecology G. ehie is a large tree with buttress which grows in different forest types, from closed rainforest to drier semi-deciduous forest. It occurs in the Western and Eastern Guinean lowland forests, Nigerian lowland forest, Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests and Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion. It has been found in high forest with Brachystegia, Strombosia, Entandrophragma. Seed dispersal is mainly by wind. Seedlings are found clustered around the parent tree and often remain gregarious in advanced stages of regeneration. The species regenerates preferably in shade areas (Hall and Swaine 1981).
System Movement pattern Crop Wild Relative Terrestrial Freshwater Nomadic Congregatory/Dispersive Is the species a wild relative of a crop? Marine Migratory Altitudinally migrant
Growth From Definition Tree - large Large tree, also termed a Phanerophyte (>1m)
Threats Exploitation rates of the wood are high and causing population declines. The timber acts as a popular substitute for rosewood. In Ghana the species appears to be highly threatened by over-exploitation (Hawthrone 1995).
Past Present Future 1 Habitat Loss/Degradation (human induced) 1.3 Extraction 1.3.3 Wood 1.3.3.2 Selective logging Conservation Measures G. ehie is currently known to occur in several protected areas in west Africa, such as Akure Ofosun Forest Reserve (Nigeria), Okomu Forest Reserve (Nigeria), Afi River Forest Reserve (Nigeria), The Monts Doudou Wildlife Management Area (Gabon), Lope National Park (Gabon), East Nimba National Park (Liberia), Jimira Extension Forest Reserve (Ghana). The species has been listed as Vulnerable (Criteria A1c; ver 2.3) in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (accessed 2009). The species is not currently listed in the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), meaning that the international trade of the species is not currently regulated; but G. ehie appears to be over-exploited at present and it is therefore believed that the species might need to be included in the CITES list of trade species. At present Ghana is the only country which has banned the log export of G. ehie (Oldfield et al.1988). For Ghana, Hawthorne (1995) has given this species a red star, which means it is common but under pressure from exploitation and conservation measures are necessary.
In Place Needed 1 Policy-based actions 1.2 Legislation 3 Research actions 3.2 Population numbers and range 3.6 Uses and harvest levels 3.8 Conservation measures 3.9 Trends/Monitoring 4 Habitat and site-based actions 4.4 Protected areas 4.4.3 Management 4.4.4 Expansion 5 Species-based actions 5.3 Sustainable use 5.3.1 Harvest management 5.3.2 Trade management 5.7 Ex situ conservation actions 5.7.2 Genome resource bank Countries of Occurrence
PRESENCE ORIGIN Year Breeding Non- Passage Possibly ExtinctPresence Native Introduced Re- Vagrant Origin Round Season breeding migrant extinct uncertain Introduced uncertain only season only Cameroon Côte d'Ivoire Gabon Ghana Liberia Nigeria
General Habitats Score Description Major Importance 1 Forest 1Suitable Unset 1 Forest 1Suitable Not applicable 1.5 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry 1Suitable Not applicable 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland1 Suitable Unset
Ecosystem Services Insufficient Information available Species provides no ecosystem services
Species Utilisation Species is not utilised at all
Purpose / Type of Use Subsistence National International 3. Medicine - human and veterinary 7. Fuel 9. Construction/structural materials G. ehie is mainly used for timber production. It is used for fine furniture and cabinetwork, turnery, decorative veneers and flooring. Extract of the stem bark were used for the treatment of gastrointestinal related clinical problems in African ethnomedicine.
Trend in the level of wild offtake/harvest in relation to total wild population numbers over the last five years: Trend in the amount of offtake/harvest produced through domestication/cultivation over the last five years: CITES status: Not listed
IUCN Red Listing Red List Assessment:(using 2001 IUCN system) Least Concern (LC)
Red List Criteria: Date Last Seen (only for EX, EW or Possibly EX species): Is the species Possibly Extinct? Possibly Extinct Candidate? Rationale for the Red List Assessment The species appears to be quite widespread in west tropical Africa and several populations are known to occur within the protected areas network; however the exploitation of this species for its timber seems to be the main driver for a population decline, but no figures about the over-exploitation of G. ehie (which may compromised the species status and health in the near future) are available, meaning that the species doesn't qualify for a threatened category at present. The species is currently rated as Least Concern, but further research and field work is required to make sure that the species doesn't fall into a threatened category in the near future. Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: Genuine Change Nongenuine Change No Change Genuine (recent) New information Taxonomy Same category Genuine (since first assessment) Knowledge of Criteria Criteria Revisio and criteria Incorrect data used Other Same category but previously change in criteria Current Population Trend: Decreasing Date of Assessment: 15/09/2010 Name(s) of the Assessor(s): Contu, S. Evaluator(s): Notes:
% population decline in the past: Time period over which the past decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): % population decline in the future: Time period over which the future decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): Number of Locations: Severely Fragmented: Number of Mature Individuals:
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