Multiple-use forest management is considered by many as a preferable alternative to single-use, generally timber-dominant, management models to ensure a greater biodiversity. In this presentation we will briefly explore the major land-uses in the Congo Basin and their actual or potential for sustaining biodiversity in a production context. We then focus on the most extant production systems (shifting cultivation, industrial logging concessions and main commodity crops) to analyze the existing issues and options for managing actively both valuable timber species and biodiversity with a special emphasis timber stands, wildlife and the potential role of certification. We highlight a few promising but yet ‘unfinished’ examples in the region and we review these cases to draw lessons and recommendations. We contend however that true multiple-use could only be realized by expanding beyond boundaries of formal management units through new innovative land-use units, allowing a spatial cohabitation of the interests of local people, of conservation proponents and of extractive industries in the same management unit.

1. Managing for high value timber
and biodiversity in the Congo
Basin
R. NASI, A. BILLAND, N. VAN VLIET
Technical Session: How does biodiversity help to manage high-value timber species,
and vice-versa?
October 9th, Salt Lake City, XXIV IUFRO World Congress

2. Selective logging in the Congo
Basin
 Timber remains the sole managed commodity
 Highly selective, few individuals (less than 2) of few high
value 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 management and certification is increasing
 Some (rare) examples of wildlife management in/near
logging concessions

3. Biodiversity in the Congo Basin
Land use km2
“Ordinary lands” 448,801
Logging concessions 595.381
Community forests ≈ 11.000
Protected areas 444,973
Source: Nasi et al, 2011
 Plant diversity (trees, NTFPs)
• Directly impacted by logging activities and damage to
residual stand
• Indirectly impacted by defaunation
 Animal diversity (“wildlife”)
• Directly impacted by logging activities
• Indirectly threatened by hunting

4. Main issues for compatibility
 Many tropical tree species have both timber and non-timber
values that accrue to different stakeholders; wildlife is yet
another story
 Current certification schemes diverge for timber and
NTFPs; doesn’t fully address wildlife
 Forestry education and training biased towards timber
 Legal and regulatory frameworks dictated separately for
timber, wildlife and NTFPs
 Best harvesting practices/management protocols for NTFPs
or wildlife have little validation

5. Typology of logging impacts
Impacts Directs Derived
Unavoidable
 Damage to residual stand
 Disturbances (noise, light)
 Fragmentation
 Changes in C stocks
 Increased human
presence (both temporary
and permanent)
 Increased access to
remote forests
Avoidable
 Soil erosion
 Water course pollution
 Reduced regeneration
 …
 Increased deforestation
 Increased fire risks
 Favor invasive species
 Increased hunting

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

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

8. Pro-biodiversity activities in logging
Graphique symétrique
(axes F1 et F2 : 54.36 %)
More Biodiversity
activities ++
International
Aménagement en cours
Aménagé
8
Indépendant Groupe
Certifié
Non aménagé
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
20
21
22
23
26
1
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
F1 (44.24 %)
F2 (10.12 %)
- Actions concrètes +
+ Difficultés rencontrées -
- Ni les méthodes
- Ni les capacités
actuellement
- Malgré
quelques actions
- Vise la certification
- Souhaite maintenir
ses efforts
- > 30 essences
exploitéees
Pas encore
de résultats
More problems
expressed
++
Sust. Mangt Plan under way
No Plan
With Plan
Certified
No methods
No capacities
Limited activities
Basic
intentions,
Limited results
Activities limited to
legal requirement
Limited results
Motivated CEO and
some staff
Long term efforts
Effective field activities
Billand et al. 2009
concessions
Only certified
concessions
show significant
activities in favor
of biodiversity

9. A landscape approach: why?
 High mobility of wildlife (migration, dispersal, extensive
territories…) an importatn biodiversity component
 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)

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

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

12. New land-use type
Combine several land uses (e.g.
logging concession, protected area,
CBFM…) in one land-use management
unit that would become an
Integrated Production-Conservation
Landscape

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

14. Basic rules
 Realize the economic potential of
the conservation side
 Manage informal sectors like
hunting, fishing or NTFP extraction
for local livelihoods so that part of
these can be formalized (soft or
hard)
 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)

15. 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).

16. Management principles at the
landscape scale
 Maintain landscape heterogeneity
 Maintain large structurally complex patches of natural
vegetation
 Create buffers around sensitive areas
 Maintain or create corridors and stepping stones
 Use appropriate disturbance regimes in management
 Maintain functional diversity
 Manage for keystone species
 Consider endemic, rare and threatened species