Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers State of Forest Genetic Resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa & Sub-Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use Based on the work of Pierre Sigaud, Oscar Eyog Matig and national consultants and in collaboration with IPGRI and ICRAF June 2001 Forest Resources Development Service Working Paper FGR/2E Forest Resources Division FAO, Rome, Italy Disclaimer The Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers report on issues and activities in related to the conservation, sustainable use and management of forest genetic resources. These working papers do not reflect any official position of FAO. Please refer to the FAO website (www.fao.org/fo) for official information. The purpose of these papers is to provide early information on on-going activities and programmes, and to stimulate discussion. Comments and feedback are welcome. For further information please contact: Pierre Sigaud, Forestry Officer (Forest Genetic Resources) Forest Resources Division Forestry Department FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy Fax: + 39 06 570 55 137 Email: [email protected] For quotation: FAO. 2001. State of Forest Genetic Resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa & Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use. Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers, Working Paper 2. Forest Resources Development Service, Forest Resources Division. FAO, Rome (unpublished). TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 1 BACKGROUND TO THIS DOCUMENT ........................................................................................... 1 COMPOSITION OF THIS DOCUMENT............................................................................................ 3 LIMITS OF THE ZONE CONSIDERED............................................................................................. 3 LEXICOLOGICAL AND TAXONOMIC CONVENTIONS .................................................................... 4 PART I: STATE OF THE FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN SAHELIAN AND NORTH-SOUDANIAN AFRICA ............................................................................................. 5 BACKGROUND........................................................................................................................... 5 GENERAL OUTLINE.................................................................................................................... 5 I.1. ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS..................................................... 5 I.1.1. Climate and relief in the Sahelian and North-Sudanian sub-region ......................... 5 1.1.2.Eco-geographic typologies......................................................................................... 6 1.1.3. Country socio-economic characteristics .................................................................. 7 I-2. STATE OF FOREST RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 7 I.2.1. Plant formations .......................................................................................................7 I.2.2. Wooded surface areas................................................................................................ 7 I.2.3. Main forest species ................................................................................................... 8 I.2.4. Utilization patterns for forest trees............................................................................9 I.2.5. Pressures exerted on forest resources and forest genetic resources ......................... 13 I.2.5.1. Pressures of climatic origin .................................................................................. 13 I.2.5.2. Pressures of man-made origin .............................................................................. 13 I.2.5.3. Species and populations considered under threat................................................. 15 I-3. MANAGEMENT OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES ................................................................ 18 I.3.1. Conservation programmes and actions ..................................................................... 19 I.3.1.1. Location of forest genetic resources..................................................................... 19 I.3.1.2. In situ conservation .............................................................................................. 20 I.3.1.3. Ex situ conservation.............................................................................................. 21 I.3.2. Plantations and forest seed demand and supply........................................................ 22 I.3.2.1. Historical background to plantation phases in the Sahel...................................... 22 I.3.2.2. National forest seed and germplasm demand....................................................... 22 I.3.3. Tree selection and improvement ................................................................................ 23 I.4. POLICY, PLANNING AND INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS....................................................... 26 I.4.1. General features of forestry policy ............................................................................ 26 I.4.2. Policy and legislation regarding forest resources..................................................... 28 I.4.3. Forest management.................................................................................................... 29 I.4.4. National institutions and organizations concerned...................................................29 I-5. RELATED AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES ................................................................................... 30 I.5.1. Forest genetic resources training.............................................................................. 30 I.5.2. Forest research ..........................................................................................................32 I.5.3. Research institutes .....................................................................................................32 I I.6. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION............................................................. 33 I.6.1.Regional cooperation ................................................................................................. 33 I.6.2. International cooperation.......................................................................................... 35 I.6.3. External funding of forest resource activity .............................................................. 35 I.7. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 37 PART II: SUB-REGIONAL ACTION PLAN ON FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES.........................................................................................................40 II.1. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................... 40 II.1.1. Justification for a sub-regional action plan on fgr ..................................................40 II.1.2. Objectives and strategy of the sub-regional action plan.......................................... 41 II.1.3. Structure and organization of the sub-regional action plan .................................... 43 II.2. IDENTIFICATION OF SUB-REGIONAL PRIORITY SPECIES ...................................................... 43 II.2.1. Rationale and issues................................................................................................. 43 II.2.2. Methodology.............................................................................................................44 II.2.3. List of species requiring absolute priority ............................................................... 46 II.2.4. Utilization of priority species ................................................................................... 48 II.2.5. Operational activities for priority species................................................................ 48 II.3. OBJECTIVE 1: IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT (UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION) OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES .................................................................................................... 50 II.3.1. Inventorying resources ............................................................................................. 50 II.3.2. Protecting and conserving resources ....................................................................... 52 II.3.3. Utilizing resources sustainably ................................................................................ 55 II.4. OBJECTIVE 2: STRENTHENING AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY REPRODUCTION MATERIAL...... 57 II.4.1. Managing seed supply and demand ......................................................................... 57 II.4.2. Selecting and improving priority species ................................................................. 59 II.5. OBJECTIVE 3: STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY................................................ 61 II.5.1. Raising awareness of partners involved................................................................... 61 II.5.2. Strengthening national institutions