| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
Review PROTA Timbers 1 By: Tieme Wanders * Timbers 1 is the first of two volumes describing the wild and cultivated plant species of tropical Africa cultivated for their timber. This volume has been elaborated by a good number of authors, of whom many are from Africa. The first volume of timbers describes in detail 280 species belonging to a selection of 25 botanical families. Another 231 species are mentioned briefly. Of the 280 species treated in detail much information is provided. For each species, information is provided on the origin and geographic distribution, production and international trade, wood properties, adulteration and substitutes, a description of the tree, other botanical information, anatomy, growth and development, ecology, propagation and planting, management, diseases and pest, harvesting, yield, handling after harvest, genetic resources, breeding and prospects. All this information makes it a useful book, containing unpublished information from research institutes which would otherwise be hard to recover. It is not entirely clear how the selection of families to be treated in volume 1 was made. Volume 2 will also contain a list of families ranging from A to Z containing some of the major botanical families which are used for timber. For some of the families treated, important timber species are left out such as the Canarium schweinfurthii of the Burseraceae family. It is not clear why. The book has two illustrations per species (map of distribution and botanical drawing). Many of the botanical drawings were remade and adapted for this book, and they would have merited being printed some what larger so as to be useful for the identification of species. On the cd-rom more illustration per species are available such as useful photographs of the habit of the tree, the stem, the bark slash, flowers and fruits. An added bonus are the (microscopic) photographs of the wood, though these are not available for all species. The CD-rom is really useful and for only 10 euro extra good value for money. Due to the very supplementary nature of the CD-rom, it is not advisable to purchase the book without it. Anyone looking for information on timber trees from Africa has a choice of several reference guides, those looking for information on timber can turn to one or two reference books, but those looking for information on propagation and management of species will often search in vain. “Timbers 1” unites all this information, and, though rather brief in some instances, the fact that so much information is contained in one book and CD-rom makes it very useful. *Msc. FORM International B.V., the Netherlands. E-mail: t.wanders@forminternational.nl |
Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 7(1). Timbers 1. 785p. D. Louppe, Oteng-Amoako A.A. & Brink M. (editors.). PROTA Foundation / Backhuys Publishers / CTA. P.O. Box 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, the Netherlands. Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale 7(1). 785 p. D. Louppe, Oteng-Amoako A.A. & Brink M. (editeurs.). Bois d’œuvre 1. Fondation PROTA / Backhuys Publishers / CTA. P.O. Box 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, Pays-Bas. |