Given the interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral character of the study, many persons and institutions contributed with specific information and competent advice, either directly or indirectly.
In particular, the author wishes to express his gratitude to:
Miguel Trossero of the Wood Energy Programme, FAO-FOPP, for his support and advice on wood energy data and issues;
George Muammar and Massimiliano Lorenzini, for generously providing advice on GIS matters;
Ergin Ataman, Mirella Salvatore, Michela Marinelli and Marina Zanetti, for their availability and for providing maps on population and administrative units;
Antonio Di Gregorio and Craig von Hagen of the Africover Programme for their advice and for providing land cover maps;
Paolo Sarfatti for the excellent collaboration with the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare and, in this context, a special thank to Valerio Avitabile for the pleasant “joint venture” of estimating biomass stocking;
Christophe Musampa of SPIAF, D. R. Congo, and Anne Branthomme, Isabelle Amsallem, Alberto Del Lungo, Mohammed Saket and Nagla Dawelbait of FAO Forestry Department, for their support and for sharing information on a variety of forestry aspects;
Mariana Manus for her valuable comments and editorial support.
