[en] Landscape Ecological Survey of the Bipindi-Akom II ... - ITTO

PREFACE
ABOUT TROPENBOS
The Tropenbos Foundation was established in 1988 by the Government of The Netherlands with
the objectives to contribute to the conservation and wise use of tropical rain forest by generating
knowledge and developing methodologies, and to involve and strengthen local research
institutions and capacity in relation to tropical rain forests.
The Tropenbos Programme carries out research on moist tropical forest land at various locations
around the world. At present (semi-) permanent research sites are located in Colombia, Guyana,
Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon. At the different locations, research programmes follow
an interdisciplinary and common overall approach, with the aim to exchange data and make
results mutually comparable.
ABOUT THE TROPENBOS-CAMEROON PROGRAMME AND ITTO PROJECT PD
26/92
The present publication has been produced in the framework of ITTO Project PD 26/92, which
is an integral part of the Tropenbos-Cameroon Programme (TCP). The research on which this
publication is based, was financed by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the
Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the Directorate General for International Cooperation
of The Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), the Tropenbos Foundation and the
implementing agencies mentioned below.
The Tropenbos-Cameroon 'Programme was established in 1992 by the Cameroonian Ministry of
Environment and Forests (MINEF) and the Tropenbos Foundation. The general objective of TCP
is to develop methods and strategies for natural forest management directed at sustainable
production of timber and other forest products and services. These methods have to be
ecologically sound, socially acceptable and economically viable (Foahom and Jonkers, 1992).
TCP consists of fourteen interrelated projects in the fields of ecology, forestry, economy, social
sciences, agronomy and soil science. In 1994, ITTO and CFC decided to co-finance six of these
projects, which together form ITTO project PD 26/92. The 'Office National de Developpement
des Forets' (ONADEF) is the agency responsible towards ITTO and CFC for the implementation
of the Project PD 26/92.
The implementing agencies involved in the present study are the Winand Staring Centre for
Integrated land, Soil and Water Research (SC-DLO), the 'Institut de la Recherche Agricole pour
le Developpement' (lRAD) and Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank those who have contributed to the overall land inventory of the TCP
research area. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Cameroonian Ministry of
Environment and Forests, the Tropenbos Foundation, the 'Office National de Developpement des
Forets', the 'Institut de la Recherche Agricole pour le Developpement', the International Tropical
Timber Organization, the Common Fund for Commodities, the Winand Staring Centre for
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