State of Forest Genetic Resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa & Sub-Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use













Table of Contents



Forestry Department
Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations

Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers

Based on the work of

Pierre Sigaud, Oscar Eyog Matig and national consultants

and in collaboration with

IPGRI and ICRAF

June 2001

Forest Resources Development Service

Working Paper FGR/2E

Forest Resources Division

FAO, Rome, Italy


Disclaimer

The Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers report on issues and activities in related to the conservation, sustainable use and management of forest genetic resources. These working papers do not reflect any official position of FAO. Please refer to the FAO website (http://www.fao.org/fo) for official information.

The purpose of these papers is to provide early information on on-going activities and programmes, and to stimulate discussion.

Comments and feedback are welcome.

For further information please contact:

Pierre Sigaud, Forestry Officer (Forest Genetic Resources)
Forest Resources Division
Forestry Department
FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Fax: +39 06 570 55 137
Email: [email protected]

For quotation:

FAO. 2001. State of Forest Genetic Resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa & Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use. Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers, Working Paper 2. Forest Resources Development Service, Forest Resources Division. FAO, Rome (unpublished).

This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software and careful manual recorrection. Even if the quality of digitalisation is high, the FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.


Table of Contents


Acknowledgements

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

GENERAL OVERVIEW
BACKGROUND TO THIS DOCUMENT
COMPOSITION OF THIS DOCUMENT
LIMITS OF THE ZONE CONSIDERED
LEXICOLOGICAL AND TAXONOMIC CONVENTIONS

PART I: STATE OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN SAHELIAN AND NORTH-SOUDANIAN AFRICA

BACKGROUND
GENERAL OUTLINE
I.1. ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS

I.1.1. Climate and relief in the Sahelian and North-Sudanian sub-region
I.1.2. Eco-geographic typologies
I.1.3. Country socio-economic characteristics

I.2. STATE OF FOREST RESOURCES

I.2.1. Plant formations
I.2.2. Wooded surface areas
I.2.3. Main forest species
I.2.4. Utilization patterns for forest trees
I.2.5. Pressures exerted on forest resources and forest genetic resources

I.2.5.1. Pressures of climatic origin
I.2.5.2. Pressures of man-made origin
I.2.5.3. Species and populations considered under threat

I.3. MANAGEMENT OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES

I.3.1. Conservation programmes and activities

I.3.1.1. Location of forest genetic resources
I.3.1.2. In situ conservation
I.3.1.3. Ex situ conservation

I.3.2. Plantations and forest seed demand and supply

I.3.2.1. Historical background to plantation efforts in the Sahel
I.3.2.2. National forest seed and germplasm demand

I.3.3. Tree selection and improvement

I.4. POLICY, PLANNING AND INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS

I.4.1. General features of forestry policy
I.4.2. Policy and legislation regarding forest resources
I.4.3. Forest management
I.4.4. National institutions and organizations concerned

I.5. RELATED AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

I.5.1. Forest genetic resources training
I.5.2. Forest research
I.5.3. Research institutes

I.6. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

I.6.1. Regional cooperation
I.6.2. International cooperation
I.6.3. External funding of forest resource activity

I.7. CONCLUSION

PART II: SUB-REGIONAL ACTION PLAN ON FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN SAHELIAN AND NORTH-SUDANIAN AFRICA

II.1. BACKGROUND

II.1.1. Justification for a sub-regional action plan on forest genetic resources
II.1.2. Objectives and strategy of the sub-regional action plan
II.1.3. Structure and organization of the sub-regional action plan

II.2. IDENTIFICATION OF SUB-REGIONAL PRIORITY SPECIES

II.2.1. Rationale and issues
II.2.2. Methodology
II.2.3. List of species requiring absolute priority
II.2.4. Utilization of priority species
II.2.5. Operational activities for priority species

II.3. OBJECTIVE 1: IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT (UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION) OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES

II.3.1. Inventorying resources
II.3.2. Protecting and conserving resources
II.3.3. Utilizing resources sustainably

II.4. OBJECTIVE 2: STRENGTHENING AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY REPRODUCTION MATERIAL

II.4.1. Managing seed supply and demand
II.4.2. Selecting and improving priority species

II.5. OBJECTIVE 3: STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY

II.5.1. Raising awareness of partners involved
II.5.2. Strengthening national institutions
II.5.3. Carrying out training activity
II.5.4. Exchanging experiences, know-how and information

II.6. IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING
II.7. FAO/IPGRI/ICRAF SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN DRY ZONE SUB-SAHARIAN AFRICA. OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO, 22 - 24 SEPTEMBER 1998 - FINAL STATEMENT

Objectives and outputs
Recommendations

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

APPENDIX 2: INDEX OF LATIN, ENGLISH AND FRENCH NAMES OF PRIORITY FOREST TREES

APPENDIX 3: MAP OF SAHELIAN AND NORTH-SUDANIAN AFRICA

APPENDIX 4: BASIC COUNTRY DATA

APPENDIX 5: FOREST COVER AND CHANGE 1990 - 1995 IN SAHELIAN AND NORTH-SUDANIAN AFRICA

APPENDIX 6: PRODUCTION, TRADE AND CONSUMPTION OF FOREST PRODUCTS IN SAHELIAN, NORTH-SUDANIAN AND WESTERN AFRICA, 1996

APPENDIX 7: INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND AGREEMENTS AND NATIONAL FOREST PROGRAMMES

APPENDIX 8: ANNUAL FOREST SEED SUPPLY (IN KG) PRESENTED BY SOME COUNTRIES IN NATIONAL REPORTS AND DURING FAO OR DANIDA FOREST SEED CENTRE MISSIONS

APPENDIX 9: VALUE AND UTILIZATION OF 16 TOP PRIORITY SPECIES AT REGIONAL LEVEL

APPENDIX 10: GENETIC MANAGEMENT OF 16 TOP PRIORITY SPECIES, BY COUNTRY AND POPULATION

APPENDIX 11: LEVEL OF SECURITY AND NATURE OF THREATS TO THE INTEGRITY OF GENETIC RESOURCES OF 16 TOP PRIORITY SPECIES

APPENDIX 12: OUTLINE FOR COUNTRY REPORTS ON FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN SAHELIAN AND NORTH SUDANIAN AFRICA FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES, OUAGADOUGOU, SEPT. 1998

APPENDIX 13: LIST OF COUNTRY REPORTS PREPARED BY NATIONAL EXPERTS FOR THE SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO, 22 - 24 SEPTEMBER 1998