Innovazioni nella Gestione Forestale Sostenibile - Repository of ...

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for agricultural purposes (Witte 1992; Laurance 2001, Makana et al 2006). Until recently,
commercial logging was not causing excessive degradation in the region, but is considered a
major threat as an increasing number of transnational logging companies seek to operate in the
Congo basin (Wolfire et al. 1998). In addition, the highly selective character of such timber
harvesting practices can lead to severe depletion and may eventually result in the local extinction
of some high value tree species (Makana et al 2006). Disturbed and fragmented tropical forests
have been increasingly recognized as being important economically, socially, and for
biodiversity conservation, especially in light of the destruction of the original primary forests
(Lugo 1995; Cannon et al. 1998; Fredericksen 1998; Kammesheidt 2002). However, human-
induced disturbances in tropical forests span a wide gradient, depending on land-use type and
intensity (Makana et al 2006).
The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the silvicultural techniques and the logging
systems and working methods applied in some forests sites managed by SEFAC - Société
d’Exploitation Forestière et Agricole du Cameroun. The company is aligned with the FSC forest
certification scheme. The study and analysis of the logging process is important for the
improvement of the planning level of the work ensuring at the same time not only the greatest
economic and social benefits but also reducing the very frequent high environmental impacts of
forestry activities encountered in similar situations.
Materials and methods
The area of interest (coordinate 2° 54 ' North latitude and 16° 03' East longitude) is a concession
to a private company, SEFAC, set up in 1968 in the southeast region of Cameroon creating a
place called Libongo on the Sangha river banks. From that moment, SEFAC is carrying out the
logging activities and primary wood processing; at the same time, SEFAC is involved in the
development of Libongo creating some basic infrastructure for the village. At present SEFAC
manages five UFA (Unité Forestière d’Aménagement) in the Southeast of Cameroon for a total
concession area of 405,000 hectares, all with a management plan approved. The areas are
classified as natural forests that are part of state-owned forests project of Loupoundji defined in
the state-owned forests monograph and on the basis of the zoning plan of Southern Cameroon
(Côté 1993). According to CARPE (2005) the study area is included within the "Landscape of
the three Countries of the Sangha (TNS)" characterized by wide intact forests, abundant wildlife
presence and a low population density (0.7 people /km 2 ). The forest covers 96 % of the territory
and logging is the main activity with 17 concessions that cover 71 % of the area.
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