list of figures - Terry Sunderland

CHAPTER NINE
IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
9.1. INTRODUCTION
It is widely reported that the thriving domestic trade in rattan and rattan products in
Africa has undoubtedly led to substantial over exploitation of the wild rattan resource
(Morakinyo, 1994; Ndoye, 1994; Falconer, 1994; Townson, 1995; Trefon and Defo,
1998; Defo, 1997; Sunderland, 1998; Defo, 1999; Sunderland 1999a; 1999b; Kialo,
1999; Minga, in press; Holbech, 2000; Oteng-Amoako and Obiri-Darko, in press; this
study). This exploitation, coupled with the loss of forest cover through logging and
subsequent agricultural activities, could, in future, threaten the very survival of the
rattan industry in Africa as has been pessimistically forecast in SE Asia (Dransfield,
1988a). The detrimental impact of the decline of wild rattan resources is most clearly
realised by local rattan collectors and urban artisans that rely on forest products;
individuals and communities already at the lower end of the economic scale.
In essence, the sustainable harvesting and management of the African rattan resource
is primarily hindered by a paucity of a sound information on stocking, growth, yield
and harvest intensity. In addition, the lack of resource tenure precludes any attempts at
long-term and sustainable harvesting and the fact that rattan is considered an “openaccess”
resource throughout much of its range mitigates the prospects for long-term
sustainable management.
9.2. CONSERVATION STATUS OF AFRICAN RATTANS
Now that the taxonomic base of the African rattan sector has been established it is
now possible to determine the global conservation status of the species concerned.
This has been calculated using the IUCN (1998) conservation categories where among
other criteria, geographical limits in species distribution are used to determine the
conservation status. These categories are as follows:
Endangered (species distribution