Staff directory
Nils Bourland
Biology
Wood biology
Wood biology
Publication details
Fayolle, A., Ouédraogo, D.-Y., Ligot, G., Daïnou, K., Bourland, N., Tekam, P. & Doucet, J.-L. 2015. ‘Differential Performance between Two Timber Species in Forest Logging Gaps and in Plantations in Central Africa’. Plinio Sist, Robert Nasi, Jean-Paul Laclau (eds), Forests 6, special issue : The 24th IUFRO World Congress: Session 64 What Future for Tropical Silviculture? : 380-394. DOI: 10.3390/f6020380. URL: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/2/380 I.F. 1.139.
Article in a scientific Journal / Article in a Journal
To develop silvicultural guidelines for high-value timber species of Central African moist forests, we assessed the performance of the pioneer Milicia excelsa (iroko, Moraceae), and of the non-pioneer light demander Pericopsis elata (assamela, Fabaceae) in logging gaps and in plantations in highly degraded areas in south-eastern Cameroon. The survival and size of each seedling was regularly monitored in the silvicultural experiments. Differences in performance and allometry were tested between species in logging gaps and in plantations. The two species performance in logging gaps was significantly different from plantations and concurred with the expectations of the performance trade-off hypothesis but not with the expectations of species light requirements. The pioneer M. excelsa survived significantly better in logging gaps while the non-pioneer P. elata grew significantly faster in plantations. The high mortality and slow growth of M. excelsa in plantations is surprising for a pioneer species but could be explained by herbivory (attacks from a gall-making psyllid). Identifying high-value native timber species (i) with good performance in plantations such as P. elata is of importance to restore degraded areas; and (ii) with good performance in logging gaps such as M. excelsa is of importance to maintain timber resources and biodiversity in production forests.