BACK GROUD IFORMATIO O THE COSERVATIO STATUS OF BUBIGA AD WEGE TREE SPECIES I AFRICA COUTRIES Report prepared for the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). by Dr Jean Lagarde BETTI, ITTO - CITES Project Africa Regional Coordinator, University of Douala, Cameroon Tel: 00 237 77 30 32 72 [email protected] June 2012 1 TABLE OF COTET TABLE OF CONTENT......................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................... 4 ABREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................. 5 ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................... 6 0. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................10 I. MATERIAL AND METHOD...........................................................................................11 1.1. Study area..................................................................................................................11 1.2. Method ......................................................................................................................12 II. BIOLOGICAL DATA .....................................................................................................14 2.1. Distribution of Bubinga and Wengé species in Africa.................................................14 2.2. Scientific, trade and common names ..........................................................................19 2.3. Distribution of Bubinga and Wengé species in Cameroon ..........................................20 2.4. Biological characteristics ...........................................................................................23 2.4.1. Life history ..........................................................................................................23 2.4.1.1. Guibourtia demeusei ....................................................................................23 2.4.1.2. Guibourtia tessmannii ..................................................................................24 2.4.1.3. Guibourtia ehie ............................................................................................24 2.4.1.4. Millettia laurentii .........................................................................................25 2.4.2. Habitat type ........................................................................................................25 2.5. Population and trends.................................................................................................26 2.5.1. Occurency map of Bubinga and Wengé species...................................................26 2.5.2. Densities .............................................................................................................31 2.6. Conservation status ....................................................................................................34 2.6.1. Global conservation status...................................................................................34 2.6.2. National conservation status for Cameroon..........................................................35 2.6.3. Main threats ........................................................................................................35 III. MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN CAMEROON..........................................................36 3.1. Management history...................................................................................................36 3.2. Purpose of the management plan in place...................................................................38 3.3. General elements of the management plan..................................................................38 3.4. Restoration and alleviation measures..........................................................................39 3.4.1. General provisions .............................................................................................39 3.4.2. Application of management measures on Bubinga and Wengé species in Cameroon. ....................................................................................................................42 3.4.2.1. Distribution of stems per diameter classes ....................................................42 3.4.2.2. Logging volume requested and expressed in different annual certificate applications from 2008 to 2012. ................................................................................44 3.4.3. Conservation of Bubinga and Wengé tree species in protected areas in Cameroon – precautionary measures.................................................................................................48 IV. UTILIZATION AND TRADE OF BUBINGA AND WENGE PRODUCTS IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES .....................................................................................................50 4.1. Utilization..................................................................................................................50 4.2. Trade .........................................................................................................................52 4.2.1. Cameroon............................................................................................................52 4.2.2. Republic of Congo ..............................................................................................54 4.2.2.1. Densities of Bubinga and Wengé ..................................................................54 4.2.2.2. Logging volumes of Wengé..........................................................................54 4.2.2.3. Export volume of Wengé..............................................................................55 2 4.2.2.4. Export volume of Wengé and Bubinga from Congo according to the CEMAC database ....................................................................................................................56 4.2.3. The Central African Republic..............................................................................57 4.2.3.1. Density of Bubinga.......................................................................................57 4.2.3.2. Logging volume of Bubinga .........................................................................58 4.2.3.3. Export volume of Bubinga and Wengé of CAR ............................................58 4.2.4. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)................................................................59 4.2.5. Equatorial Guinea:...........................................................................................60 4.2.6. Synthesis on utilization and trade of Bubinga and Wengé products in African countries .......................................................................................................................62 V. MONITORING AND CONTROL...................................................................................63 5.1. General elements of control as outlined in the arête n° 0222/A/MINEF/25 may 2001. 63 5.2. Participative implementation of the management plan ............................................64 5.3. Other provisions.........................................................................................................66 5.4. Control of logging......................................................................................................67 5.5. Control of timber products along transport routes and in the points of export: circuit of timber from forest to abroad..............................................................................................68 5.6. Problems observed in the field of control ...................................................................69 5.6.1. During logging activities .....................................................................................69 5.6.2. Along transport routes.........................................................................................71 5.6.3. At the points of export.........................................................................................71 5.6.4. Specific case of Bubinga species .........................................................................72 5.6.4.1. Illegal logging of Bubinga ............................................................................72 5.6.4.2. Pressure on Bubinga and Wengé in Cameroon.............................................78 5.6.4.3. Solutions ......................................................................................................79 5.7. Perspectives ...............................................................................................................79 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMANDATIONS ................................................................81 REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................83 APPENDIX..........................................................................................................................86 Appendix 1. Logging volumes of Bubinga and Wengé species in Cameroon.....................86 Appendix 2. Export volumes for Bubinga and Wengé species in Cameroon......................92 Appendix 3. Export volumes of Bubinga and Wengé produced in the Republic of Congo and registered in the database of the Economic and Monetary Community of the Central African Countries