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MONOGRAPH ON THREATENED AFRICAN MEDICINAL TREE - PRUNUS AFRICANA
By Emma Youde
Prunus africana or Pygeum, also known commonly as the African Cherry, is an evergreen forest species, limited essentially to montane regions of Africa. Its distribution is disjunct, made up of isolated populations in the mountain areas of Central and Eastern Africa, from the Gulf of Aden to South Africa, with outlying populations in West Africa and Madagascar.
The bark, leaves and fruit of the species have a long history of use by traditional healers for the treatment of infections, fever and urinary tract problems. It is for treating the last of these that extracts from the bark of Prunus africana have been developed to meet an international herbal market demand as a remedy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, a disease causing non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate in older-aged western men.
Bark harvesting rates have reached high levels in countries where European pharmaceutical companies are involved in commercial processing and transportation, namely Cameroon, Madagascar and, more recently, Kenya. Although traditional methods of harvesting bark were non-destructive, the international market demand has led to illegal and destructive harvesting. Product certification, domestication, and community-based management initiatives are actively receiving consideration as ways to alleviate the current unsustainable pressure on the wild resource.
A comprehensive monograph on the species is now being produced. Chapters in this monograph have been contributed by various organisations concerned with Prunus africana research and management, including the University of Wales, Bangor, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, The Mount Cameroon Project, Birdlife International, and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute.
The monograph provides an overview of how the resource is being used and of the policy and regulatory frameworks in the different Range States. The ecology and biology of the species is described (including a definitive distribution map), and current management practices and domestication potential are discussed. Recommendations for sustainable management and use of Prunus africana in relation to each of these aspects are provided, making the monograph a useful resource for professional agriculturalists, foresters, rural development staff and policy makers. Extension materials and policy briefs will also be available as outputs from this project.
The monograph on Prunus africana is the latest in a series produced at the University of Wales, Bangor, on multi-purpose tree species. The other monographs in the series cover Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca, Parkia biglobosa, and Vitellaria paradoxa. A monograph is now being prepared on Sclerocarya birrea, the widespread Marula tree of great significance in maintaining rural livelihoods throughout Africa, and especially in southern Africa. This will be available in 2001.
To obtain a copy of the forthcoming monograph on Prunus africana or for information or copies of any of the other monographs named above, please contact:
Emma Youde
University of Wales, Bangor,
Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1248 382631, Fax:
+ 44 1248 382832,
Email: e.l.youde@bangor.ac.uk
The monographs on Prunus africana and Sclerocarya birrea are outputs from a research project funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID.[R7227 Forestry Research Programme].
The Theme Studies Series discusses innovative forest-related themes which are high on the international agenda. The purpose of the series is to collect and synthesise information and knowledge on these themes, and to present concrete directions for policy development and implementation in the framework of international co-operation. They are intended for anyone involved in international co-operation in the field of forests and nature management.
The Theme Studies Series is published jointly by the International Agricultural Centre (IAC) and the National Reference Centre for Nature Management (EC LNV) under the aegis of the Forests, Forestry and Biological Diversity Support Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries (LNV) of the Netherlands. The themes were developed at the combined request of the Department for Nature Management of LNV and the Directorate General for International Co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Theme Studies No. 1-5 have been reprinted and are still available:
These reports can be downloade d for free from the Internet at: http://www.minlnv.nl/inm
Hard copies can be ordered from:
EC LNV Information Desk,
P.O. Box 30, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tel: +31-317-474801,
Fax: +31-317-427561, Email: balie@eclnv.agro.nl
NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS (NTFPs): THEIR ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE TROPICS
Jeannette van Rijsoort, 2000
Theme Studies Series 1 of the Forests, Forestry and Biological Diversity Support Group. National Reference Centre for Nature Management (ECLNV) and International Agricultural Centre (IAC), Wageningen, the Netherlands
The exploitation and management of "Non-Timber Forest Products" (NTFPs) is increasingly proposed as a potential means of ensuring sustainable management of forests and of biodiversity. Up to now, however, no overview has been available of the experience, the practicalities and the impracticalities of such use, although it has become increasingly clear that it represents a diverse and complex matter. The aim of this document is to provide such an overview. It is intended for policy-makers and those implementing government and non-government policy - both in the Netherlands and elsewhere - who are involved in identifying, formulating, assessing, monitoring and evaluating forest conservation and NTFP activities.
Section 1 includes a description of the concept of NTFPs and a specification of just what it includes. NTFPs are taken to mean all products removed from forests, except for industrial timber: foodstuffs, medicines, roofing materials, aromatic substances, flavourings and colourings, and animals as trophies and for international trade. People make use of these products to support themselves and for healthcare purposes, and they also constitute a source of income and employment. Some NTFPs even play an important role in the national economy. International trade in NTFPs is estimated at USD 11bn. The European Union, the US and Japan together account for 60% of world-wide imports of NTFPs. Besides their socio-economic importance, it is often stated that harvesting NTFPs has no influence on the structure and function of forests. This assumption is the basis for the belief that the use and management of NTFPs in forests can potentially contribute to sustainable forest management and to combating poverty. In this context, combating poverty is also taken to mean improving capacity and control with respect to the management of natural resources ("empowerment").
The document then goes on to provide an outline of policies (both Dutch and international) on forest management in general and on NTFPs in particular. Section 2 deals with a number of categories of NTFPs and indicates the differences between the use and management of NTFPs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 outline current experience in the use and management of NTFPs in tropical forests from the ecological, socio-economic, socio-cultural, and political-institutional perspectives. Such experience varies significantly, depending on a large number of factors specific to the location and species concerned. Several general lessons are drawn and the reader is encouraged to fill in the details according to region and situation. Although the subject is treated from a variety of different perspectives in separate sections, it becomes clear that only an integrated approach can be succesful. For example, marketing NTFPs can only provide a sustainable source of income and thus make the forest a more valuable resource if it is based on an ecologically sustainable extraction system. Furthermore, without user and property rights to NTFPs, none of those involved will be motivated to support the long-term conservation of forests. It also becomes clear that women play a major role in harvesting, processing and marketing NTFPs. The success of NTFP extraction systems will therefore be greatly enhanced if women are actively involved in their development.
Section 7 discusses the potential for the use and management of NTFPs as an instrument for sustainable forest management, as well as their limitations, on the basis of experience already outlined. A number of areas are suggested where NTFP use has the greatest potential: bufferzones around protected areas; flood plains; mountainous areas; forest fringes; and degraded forest. A proposal is also made for further investigation of the potential for the combined extraction of NTFPs and timber in sustainably managed forest concessions.
Finally, section 8 (Conclusions) presents a number of components which should be included in projects and programmes for the development of NTFPs in sustainable forest management. Given the diversity of NTFPs and situations, the document makes no claim to completeness. It should be seen as an initial attempt, one that can provide a basis which can then be worked out and put into practice for each particular region and situation.
This text can be downloaded for free from the internet at: http://www.minlnv.nl/inm
Orders: EC LNV
Information desk, PO Box 30, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands.
Tel: +31-317-474801, Fax: +31-317-427561, Email: balie@eclnv.agro.nl
RECENT NTFP-RELATED PUBLICATIONS FROM PROSEA
PROSEA 2: Edible fruits and nuts, CD-ROM
E.W.M. Verheij and R.E. Coronel (Eds)
This CD-ROM testifies to the great wealth and diversity of fruits and nuts in South-East Asia. The appreciation of the fruits and nuts is reflected in the many ways they are put to use and in their role in cultural tradition. Present yields are low, but developments in South-East Asia suggest that traditional skills can provide the necessary clues for a breakthrough towards much higher yields. In addition to information presented in the original book, many colour photographs have been added to illustrate the species dealt with. Moreover, navigation of the content is easy and a hyperlinked and illustrated glossary makes this CD-ROM an attractive product with the usual high standard of PROSEA publications.
Prosea 2. Edible fruits and nuts. CD-ROM, Macintosh & Windows Version 1.0. ETI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands/Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1999. ISBN 3-540-14845-0 (Macintosh & Windows).
PROSEA 5: Timber trees, CD-ROM
L.T. Hong, R.H.M.J. Lemmens, S. Prawirohatmodjo, I. Soerianegara, M.S.M. Sosef & W.C. Wong
The multimedia databases in this CD-ROM hold detailed information on 400 genera and 2900 timber-yielding species of South-East Asia, including full descriptions of trees, silvicultural aspects, timber properties, photos and botanical drawings of trees, and high-resolution wood anatomical photographs. An enhanced search facility for wood properties has been developed for this CD as well as an interactive wood anatomical identification system for all genera treated. Fast and easy access to the databases is warranted by powerful search engines. A hyperlinked illustrated glossary of technical terms and a reference database are part of the system. The 2100 printed pages of the 3 PROSEA Handbook volumes are now fully searchable and available in 1 CD-ROM.
PROSEA 5: Timber trees. CD-ROM. ETI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands/Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1999-2000. price € 229.95, ISBN 3-540-14773-X (Macintosh) and 3-540-14771-3 (Windows).
PROSEA 6 & 7. Rattans and bamboos, CD-ROM
J. Dransfield, N. Manokaran (Editors Prosea 6 Rattans), S. Dransfield and E.A. Widjaja (Editors Prosea 7 Bamboos).
This CD-ROM regroups two particular commodities from South-East Asia: rattans and bamboos. Rattan in South-East Asia represents the most important forest product after timber. It is used for the cane-furniture industry and for a wealth of minor purposes locally. Bamboos have for centuries been of great importance in rural communities, being used intensively as a sustainable resource for numerous purposes. Being largely under-estimated in the past, in recent years the commercialization of bamboos shoots, bamboo boards, chopsticks, pulp for paper and bamboo handicrafts, has caused an increase in the demand for the raw material. Two videos from IDRC will be included in this multimedia publication, apart from the many colour photographs of the different species. The CD counts a total number of 129 rattan and 77 bamboo species.
Prosea 6 & 7. Rattans and Bamboos. CD-ROM. ETI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands/Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. (In print).
Plant resources of South-East Asia no. 16: Stimulants
H.A.M. van der Vossen and M. Wessel, 2000
This volume deals with the plants of South-East Asia that are cultivated or collected from the wild for their stimulating properties. Three types of stimulant plants may be distinguished, based on their general use: plants used to make beverages, masticatory plants and plants for smoking. The beverage plants include coffee, tea, cocoa and maté; their dried or processed seeds or leaves are used to make infusions. Most people drink tea or coffee, or both, on a daily basis to banish fatigue and refresh the mind, but South-East Asians drink more tea than coffee. The masticatory plants include areca nut and kola: the stimulating effect is obtained by chewing the fresh or dried seed. These plants are primarily of regional importance and often also have cultural and social functions. Finally, there are plants for smoking, such as tobacco: its leaves are dried and processed for smoking. Although opposition to tobacco consumption is growing in Europe and North America, because of the potential harm to public health, tobacco consumption is still on the increase in Asia.
In this volume, 20 major stimulant species are treated in 17 papers and there are brief descriptions of 34 species of minor importance. A further 250 species with a secondary use as a stimulant or in association with stimulants are also listed.
Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 16. Stimulants. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. 201 pp. ISBN 90-5782-053-6.
Plant resources of South-East Asia no. 18 : Plants producing exudates
E. Boer and A.B. Ella, 2000
Exudates are generally obtained by tapping trees (latexes, resins, gums). A few of them, such as rubber and pine resin, are economically very important: in South-East Asia, rubber is a major source of income for well over 1 million households. Other exudates, however, have not been able to compete with synthetic substitutes and have declined in importance or have fallen out of use. Of the exudates that are still commercially important, resins are applied in paints and varnishes, yield essential oils and are transformed chemically into a variety of products, whereas latexes yield rubber, prized for its elasticity, and gutta-percha, a non-elastic but thermoplastic product. In this volume the former, current and potential uses of plant exudates are discussed, in the hope that this may revitalize production systems that include exudate-producing plants. In the introductory chapter, in addition to the botany, ecology and management of exudate-producing species, the different tapping techniques are highlighted and put into perspective. After the introduction 15 papers deal in detail with individual species, including those yielding copal, pine resin, damar, elemi, benzoin, gurjun balsam, sepetir wood oil, jelutong, rubber, and gutta-percha. About 40 minor species producing exudates are treated briefly.
Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 18. Plants producing exudates. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. 189 pp. ISBN 90-5782-072-2.
Orders: PROSEA
Handbook volumes can be ordered from: Backhuys Publishers, P.O.Box 321, 2300
AH Leiden, The Netherlands.
Tel: + 31
71 5170208, Fax: + 31 71 517 18 56, Email: info@backhuys.com
PROSEA CD-ROMs can be
ordered from: ETI, University of Amsterdam, Mauritskade 61, 1092 AD Amsterdam,
The Netherlands.
Tel: +31 20
5257239, Fax: + 31 20 525 7238, Email: info@eti.uva.nl
For information on prices, discounts for developing countries and ordering PROSEA CD-ROMs: visit http://www.eti.uva.nl/Products/Products.html and on ordering PROSEA books: visit http://www.euronet.nl/users/backhuys/
MANAGING THE DRY AFRICAN SAVANNA: OPTIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE
Hans H. de Iongh and Herbert H.T. Prins (2000)
This volume contains 9 papers presented at the seminar "Managing the dry African savanna. Options for conservation and sustainable use", held on the 19th of September 1998. Papers deal with research and management, wildlife utilisation and management by local communities and the private sector, livestock, nomads and pastoralists, and conflict management. Some general conclusions drawn at the seminar are:
Mededelingen No. 36. 70 pages. ISSN: 0923-5981. Orders: Centre for Environmental Science Leiden, PO Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. Tel: +31 71 5277 431, E-mail: iongh@rulcml.leidenuniv.nl
FINANCIAL COSTS AND BENEFITS OF REDUCED IMPACT LOGGING IN THE EASTERN AMAZON
P. Holmes et al. (2000)
The study provides a detailed comparison of the costs and revenues of a typical reduced impact logging (RIL) system relative to a conventional logging (CL) system. The analysis focuses on financial, operational, and technical aspects of CL in relation to RlL techniques and procedures.
RIL uses techniques and guidelines that adapt best harvesting techniques to existing ecological and economic conditions. These techniques include: pre-harvest inventory and mapping of trees, pre-harvest planning of roads and skid trails, pre-harvest vine cutting; directional felling; cutting stumps low to the ground; efficient utilization of felled trunks; constructing roads and skid trails of optimum width; winching of logs to planned skid trails; constructing landings of optimal size; and minimizing ground disturbance and slash management. Some of the findings of the study are:
Orders: Tropical Forest
Foundation, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 770, Alexandria VA, 22314, USA.
Tel: +1 703 518 8834, Fax: +1 703 518 8974, Email: tff@igc.apc.org,
http:www.tropicalforestfoundation.org
The newsletter of the International Council for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ICMAP) aims to be an international interdisciplinary forum for medicinal and aromatic plants. The newsletter contains several sections including country reports; projects; reports on meetings; articles and forthcoming events and information sources.
For more information and/or free copies contact: ICMAP, c/o Boulevard de Montmorency, 75016 Paris, France, or check the website at: http://www.icmap.org
SEED MANAGEMENT OF 100 TREE SPECIES FROM LATIN AMERICA (VOLUME 1)
R Salazar, C Soihet and J Miguel Méndez
The "Proyecto de Semillas Forestales (PROSEFOR)" promotes and supports the capacity and technical assistance of forest(ry) institutes in Central America, Panamá and the Dominican Republic. It aims to improve the physical and genetic quality of seeds and their distribution among reforestation programmes in the region.
PROSEFOR has to date published 116 Technical Notes on Forest Seeds. These summarize basic information on seed distribution, botanic characteristics, as well as production and management. This information is very important to assure best results on seed management.
This publication includes the first 100 technical notes. Per species the book gives a botanical description and a drawing. It provides information on distribution and habitat, flowering and fruits, seed collection and processing, germination, growth and diseases in the nursery.
Orders: Serie Técnica,
Manual Técnico No. 41. ISBN: 9977-57-3492. CATIE, PROSEFOR, 7170-137,
Turrialba, Costa Rica.
Tel: + 506 556 1933, Fax: +506 556 7766, Email: prosefor@catie.ac.cr
FIFTY YEARS OF ASIA-PACIFIC FORESTRY COMMISSION
Jörg Balsiger (2000)
The Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) was created in 1949 as one of the six FAO Regional Forestry Commissions and thus is now in existence for over 50 years. APFC is a forum for advising and taking action on key forestry issues to promote environmentally sound and economically efficient technologies and to encourage implementation of appropriate policies in line with changing trends in forestry, focussing on aspects pertinent to the Asia-Pacific region. APFC's objectives are to:
Some major activities are:
Taking a chronological approach, the book "FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission: the first fifty years" describes the Inaugural Session, the period 1950-1960 (moving forestry to a regional plan), the period 1960-1970 (changing forestry priorities), the 1990s (pursuing sustainable development), and the constraints and opportunities for 2000 onwards.
For more information
on the APFC contact: Patrick B. Durst, Regional Forestry Officer, FAO Regional
Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Athit Road, Bangkok
10200, Thailand,
Tel: +66-2-281-7844,
Fax: +66-2-280-0445, E-mail:
patrick.durst@fao.org
THE EFFECT OF INDONESIA'S ECONOMIC CRISIS ON SMALL FARMERS AND NATURAL FOREST COVER IN THE OUTER ISLANDS
W D Sunderlin, I A P Resosudarmo, E Rianto, and A Angelsen (2000)
A random sample survey of 1,050 households was conducted in five outer island provinces (Riau/Jambi, Lampung, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi) to obtain insights into the effects of the economic crisis on the wellbeing of forest villagers and on their agricultural and forest clearing practices.
Some key-findings of the research are: (1) two-thirds of the study households reported they were worse off, one-fifth reported that they were better off during the crisis than in the year before the crisis; (2) this happened in spite of the fact that three-quarters of study households had export commodity income; (3) clearing of forest land increased in the first year of the crisis and greatly in the second; (4) land was cleared increasingly for export tree crops; and (5) those who perceived themselves as worse off or better off were more likely to have cleared land during the crisis, and have cleared a larger area, than those who felt their wellbeing did not change significantly.
CIFOR Occasional Paper No. 28(E). 36 pp. ISSN: 0854-9818. Orders: CIFOR, PO Box 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia. Phone: +62 (251) 622 622, fax: +62 (251) 622 100, E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org, website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org
THE HESITANT BOOM: INDONESIA'S OIL PALM SUB-SECTOR IN AN ERA OF ECONOMIC CRISIS AND POLITICAL CHANGE
Anne Casson (2000)
From 1967 through to 1997, oil palm was one of the fastest growing sub-sectors of the Indonesian economy. However, the enormous growth has posed an increasing threat to Indonesia's natural forest cover and local communities. This publication describes the reasons behind the slowdown in the palm oil area expansion, the prospects for renewed growth and the impact on the forest cover.
Unless fundamental changes are being implemented in the way forest land is allocated, the further expansion of the oil palm sub-sector will pose an increasing threat to Indonesia's nataural forests and local communities.
CIFOR Occasional Paper
No. 29. 50 pp. ISSN: 0854-9818. Orders: CIFOR, PO Box 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065,
Indonesia.
Phone: +62 (251) 622 622, fax: +62 (251) 622 100, E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org,
website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org
FAO GLOBAL FOREST PRODUCTS OUTLOOK STUDY : OUTLOOK FOR WOOD SUPPLY FROM FOREST PLANTATIONS TO THE YEAR 2050
As part of FAO's Global Forest Products Outlook Study, FAO has just produced an outlook for wood supply from forest plantations to the year 2050.
This paper is the result of a concentrated effort to collect reliable forest plantation statistics for all of the countries with significant forest plantation resources (more than 20,000 ha of forest plantations), to critically review the data and make corrections where necessary, and to make it available in a form that is comparable with all of the existing information about forest plantations held by FAO. The modelling of potential roundwood production from forest plantations is also a significant advance on previous efforts in this field. The study includes information about over sixty countries that, combined, account for about 98% of the global forest plantation resource.
Orders: Electronic and printed copies of the report can be obtained from: Adrian Whiteman, Forestry Officer (Sector Studies), FAO, Room D423, Via Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Roma, ITALY. E-mail: adrian.whiteman@fao.org
IMPLICATIONS OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL FOR TROPICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE: PROSPECTS AND PITFALLS
Koskela, J., Nygren, P., Berninger, F. & Luukkanen, O. (2000)
A copy of this document, produced by the University of Helsinki, Finland, is available in pdf format at: http://honeybee.helsinki.fi/tropic
A limited number of free
hard copy versions is also available from:
Tropical Silviculture
Unit
PB 28, FIN-00014
University of Helsinki, Finland.
Fax: + 358-9-19158646;
Email: teija.reyes@helsinki.fi
or olavi.luukkanen@helsinki.fi