Can we manage for timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin?

1. Can we manage for timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin? Workshop “Managing wild species and systems for food security” Robert Nasi World Conservation Congress, Jeju, 08/09/2012

2. Logging concessions, management and biodiversity

3. Source: Nasi et al, 2011

4. Selective logging in the Congo Basin • Timber remains the sole managed commodity • Highly selective, few individuals (less than 2) of few commercial species (less than 5) represent more than 75% of the volume harvested (less than 10m3/ha) • Rotation cycles of about 25-30 years; Minimum cutting diameter rules; No post-harvest silviculture • The area under proper management and certification is increasing: Nasi et al. 2006; OFAC, State of Forest 2008

5. 30 20 Area impacted (%) 10 0 Rsq = 0.9427 0 1 2 3 4 5 Harvesting intensity and residual stands Nasi & Forni, 2006 Number of trees harvested/ha

6. Impact of certification on harvest intensity Certified concessions have a significantly reduced harvesting intensity Cerutti et al. 2011

7. Pro-biodiversity activities in logging concessions Only certified concessions show significant activities in favor of biodiversity Basic intentions, Limited results Activities limited to legal requirement Limited results No methods No capacities Limited activities Motivated CEO and some staff Long term efforts Effective fieldactivities Billand et al. 2009

8. Managing for timber and wildlife

9. Bushmeat hunting in Congo Basin Estimates of the value of the bushmeat trade range from US$42 to US$205 million per year in West-Central Africa. Current harvest in Central Africa alone may well be in excess of 5 million tons annually, could represent more than 20 million ha deforested for pasture! 30 to 80% of the protein intake of many rural populations

10. Barriers and solutions (TRAFFIC workshop, Libreville, June 2010)

11. Barriers and solutions

12. Beyond boundaries: Landscape scale considerations

13. Why a landscape approach? • High mobility of wildlife (migration, dispersal, extensive territories…) • Conserving Protected areas alone, will not be enough to conserve large sized/highly mobile species with huge ranges (e.g. Elephants) or locally rare plant species • The contribution of production forests to biodiversity conservation is increasingly recognized (e.g. North Congo where gorilla densities are higher in logging concessions than in the neighbouring NP)

14. Protected areas and logging concessions : surprisingly close neighbors OFAC, State of Forest 2008

15. National Parks Logging Concessions Hunting areas Parks, Concessions, Hunting areas : where are flagship species ? Some surprising assessments Number of ape nests/km2 OFAC, State of Forest 2008

16. Integrated production / conservation territory Combine (at least) two major land use types (e.g. a logging concession and a protected area) with community-based managed areas in one land-use management unit that could become an integrated production/conservation landscape Billand & Nasi 2006

17. Urban, social space Environmental services Local incomes Taxes, fiscal revenues Sustain rural population Certified logging concession Agro- industry Hunting, Gathering, Informal sectors Mixed area : protected area and conservation enterprise Community forest Municipal forest Protected Area Billand & Nasi 2006

18. Basic rules Realize the economic potential of the conservation side Manage informal sectors like hunting, fishing or NTFP extraction for local livelihoods Use part of the income generated by the industrial production side for the conservation area for reciprocal benefits Foster certification (not limited to timber considerations)

19. Enabling conditions Starting funds are needed to cover initial transaction costs The willingness of the production sector to engage into certification or other biodiversity friendly practices The willingness of the conservation community to collaborate, share experiences and support the private sector in integrating conservation concerns in management practices A proactive political support (creating specific land-use units with specific instances for decision making) or, at least, neutral (no undue interference from the State).

20. The Congo Basin has identified 12 Landscapes designed for shared production and conservation management of forests Actors (public, private sectors) are aware about the necessity to improve collaboration for concerted or integrated management But experiences at field level remain limited Source : Carpe

22. To conclude… We believe that management for both timber and biodiversity is possible in the Congo but it requires new thinking in terms of land-use types and stronger private–public partnerships associating production and conservation parts of the landscape and a renewed long-term support from the international donor community. Nasi, R., et al. Managing for timber and biodiversity in the Congo Basin. Forest Ecol. Manage. (2011), doi:10.1016/ j.foreco.2011.04.005

23. www.cifor.cgiar.org

24. Source: Nasi et al, 2011