TY - JOUR

T1 - Reduced Impact Logging and Silvicultural Interventions in Ghana: the Case of Bobiri Forest Reserve

AU - Sanfilippo, Massimiliano

AU - Akampulira, Emmanuel

AU - Mohase, Anna

AU - Okonkwo, Henry

AU - Ouyoumb, Philip

AU - Tumber, Robert

AU - Walmsley, James

AU - Rayment, Mark

N1 - Journal: International Forestry Review (ISSN: 1465-5489) RoMEO: This is a RoMEO yellow journal Author's Pre-print: green tick author can archive pre-print (ie pre-refereeing) Author's Post-print: cross author cannot archive post-print (ie final draft post-refereeing) Publisher's Version/PDF: cross author cannot archive publisher's version/PDF

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The recovery of selectively harvested tropical forests should benefit from a range of management practices referred to as “Reduced Impact Logging (RIL)”. Failure to apply these practices is likely to slow recovery as has been observed in various regions of the world including Ghana. Although the Revised Logging Manual for Ghana (LMG) includes some RIL measures, forest recovery is slower than predicted by yield models and is unsustainable in the currently applied forty-year logging cycle. This study adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the implementation of RIL in Bobiri Forest Reserve, Ghana. A comparative analysis of the LMG and a Regional Code of Practice for reduced-impact forest harvesting was also conducted. The results of this study suggest that the implementation of RIL measures in Bobiri is sporadic due to barriers in the flow of information among stakeholders and to the lack of technical training for field staff of logging companies. Logging companies tend to implement RIL measures if they receive clear and feasible indications, but such information is often unavailable to them.

AB - The recovery of selectively harvested tropical forests should benefit from a range of management practices referred to as “Reduced Impact Logging (RIL)”. Failure to apply these practices is likely to slow recovery as has been observed in various regions of the world including Ghana. Although the Revised Logging Manual for Ghana (LMG) includes some RIL measures, forest recovery is slower than predicted by yield models and is unsustainable in the currently applied forty-year logging cycle. This study adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the implementation of RIL in Bobiri Forest Reserve, Ghana. A comparative analysis of the LMG and a Regional Code of Practice for reduced-impact forest harvesting was also conducted. The results of this study suggest that the implementation of RIL measures in Bobiri is sporadic due to barriers in the flow of information among stakeholders and to the lack of technical training for field staff of logging companies. Logging companies tend to implement RIL measures if they receive clear and feasible indications, but such information is often unavailable to them.

KW - RIL

KW - Ghana

KW - silviculture

KW - harvesting guidelines

KW - flow of information

U2 - 10.1505/146554817821865090

DO - 10.1505/146554817821865090

M3 - Article

VL - 19

SP - 369

EP - 380

JO - International Forestry Review

JF - International Forestry Review

SN - 1465-5489

IS - 3

T2 - MSc Tropical Forestry (distance learning) residential course in Ghana

Y2 - 18 July 2015 through 1 August 2015

ER -