Ghana Journal of Forestry

Implementing timber legality assurance regime in Ghana: a review of stakeholders concerns and current institutional constraints

2012-02-01T17:00:27+00:00

Illegal logging has contributed significantly to slowing the march towards sustainable forest management in Ghana. Illegal logging has been found to thrive in environment where regulatory controls are not adequate. Stakeholders are concerned about the verification of legal compliance for timber harvesting and processing in Ghana. The Government of Ghana initiated the Validation of Legal Timber Programme (VLTP) to enhance the Forestry Commission’s capacity to control illegal logging and ensure production of legal timber. This paper reviews the scope of stakeholders concern and current institutional constraints for legal timber verification in Ghana. The aim is to provide background information as input for a new institutional framework under the VLTP. The review has shown that the current institutional set-up is not suitable for implementing timber legality assurance regime and therefore necessary to instigate a programme of institutional changes. A key element in institutional change is acquiring stakeholder support, which may not be easy when there are employment issues and vested interests at stake. It is essential that a participatory, open and inclusive approach is taken involving all the stakeholders.

Steam bending qualities of eight timber species of Ghana

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Steam bending qualities of eight lesser used timber species of Ghana have been studied and compared with the quality of Mahogany (Khaya spp), a fast diminishing noble species, with the view to providing information for the furniture and glulam industries. Wood samples collected from three ecological forest zones of Ghana were steamed in an improvised steam chamber and bent on a prepared jig to a curvature of 660mm. Danta (Nesogordonia papaverifera) was identified to have the best steam bending quality followed by Yorke (Broussonetia papyrifera), Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), Cedrela (Cedrela odorata), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Emire (Terminalia ivorensis), Cocowood (Cocos nucifera) and Borassus palm (Borassus aethiopum) in that order. The good steam bending performance of Danta and Yorke was attributed to their straight wood grains and fine-texture, and the poor steam bending qualities of Cocowood and Borassus palm was attributed to their fibrous wood grains, and the interlocked grains of Borassus palm. Yorke and Cedrela had good steam bending qualities despite their brittle wood fibres and their low porosity. There was no clear relationship between wood density and steam bending qualities of the eight species. Wood density however seems to affect the ease of bending the wood after steaming. Due to Mahogany’s superior steam bending qualities, it was placed in a proposed quality Class I category with excellent steam bending quality, whilst Danta, Yorke, Rubberwood, Cedrela and Eucalyptus were placed in Class II category with good steam bending qualities. Emire, Cocowood and Borassus Palm were, however, placed in Class III category with poor steam bending qualities. Danta, Yorke, Rubberwood, Cedrela and Eucalyptus may be recommended for steam bending in the furniture and glulam industries.

Companion planting of insect repellent plants with khaya ivorensis and its impact on growth and hypsipyla shoot borer attack of the host species

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

African mahoganies belonging to the genera Khaya and Entandrophragma suffer severely from damage caused by the shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta (Lepidotpera: Pyralidae). Attacks result in profuse branching of the stem which significantly reduces the timber value of the tree. The impact of shoot borer attack on Khaya ivorensis planted in mixtures with two ‘insect-repellent’ companion species [Azadirachta indica and Cedrela odorata] and one ‘neutral’ species [Triplochiton scleroxylon], was evaluated in the field. K. ivorensis was planted at densities of 11%, 25%, and 50% with each of the companion species and compared to a 100% K. ivorensis control plot. Shoot borer infestation was not observed in the plantation until after 20 months. Damage was recorded on 53% of the host species during the initial assessment with no significant differences in percent of host plants attacked per treatment. Howver, attack intensity was lower in the mixed species plots than in the control, though the levels of reduction were small. Generally, K. ivorensis mixtures in which Cedrela odorata was the companion species showed higher prospect to mitigate damage than those with A. indica or T. scleroxlyon. K. ivorensis in C. odorata mixtures recorded lower incidence of attack, and consequently lower incidence of epicormic branching.

Occurrence and control of paper mulberry (broussonetia papyrifera) in southern Ghana

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent. (Paper mulberry) is a fast-growing woody perennial [Moraceae] native to south-east Asia and deliberately introduced to Ghana in the Afram Headwaters and Pra-Anum Forest reserves in the late 1960s. The plant has emerged as a major invasive species, and has invaded a vast area of land in the forest zone. The objectives of the study were to assess the distribution of B. papyrifera in southern parts of Ghana and evaluate the effectiveness of possible control strategies for the plant. A survey revealed that the species has spread from the original sites of introduction to other parts of the forest zone. Three treatments including manual uprooting, direct herbicide application and cut-and-spray with herbicide were applied to saplings in experimental plots. Manual uprooting and cut-and-spray treatments effectively suppressed regeneration/ re-sprouting of B. papyrifera for up to 24 weeks. Pole-sized trees of different stump heights and diameter classes treated with systemic herbicide failed to coppice after 24 weeks. The study showed that manually uprooting seedlings and saplings, and cutting followed by squirting the stumps of pole-sized trees with the appropriate chemicals would be effective measure to suppress the growth of B. papyrifera and prevent it from spreading.

Wildfires as dominant force driving farming systems in the forest transition zone of Ghana

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Wildfires have become very influential in the ecology and socio-economic aspects of the rural landscape in the transition zone of Ghana. Eight farming communities around four forest reserves with short fire-return intervals were studied to determine major changes in farming systems that can be attributed to wildfires. Results show that recurrent annual wildfires and other related factors have caused major changes in the farming systems of the study areas. Based on farmer perceptions, significant changes were found in the type of vegetation available for conversion into farms, site productivity, crops grown, labour input, and crop yields. Thick secondary forests with long rotations and high site productivity are no longer available for cultivation. They have been replaced with light grass and Chromolaena odorata fallow with short rotations and low site productivity. Other important changes are a dramatic shift from the growth of perennials (e.g. Cocoa) to annuals (e.g. maize), high labour requirements for land clearance, low crop yields, and a reduced interest in the cultivation of cocoa which used to be the backbone of the local economy. Farmers perceived these changes to be negative factors, implying that bush fires may be undermining agriculture beyond the physical destruction of farms and farm produce.

Comparative analysis of poverty incidence and patterns in the forest and savanna zones of Ghana

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

This paper uses two sets of Living Standards Surveys to determine poverty incidence and patterns within the different ecological zones of Ghana. To ascertain changes in the standards of living of households, the headcount, poverty gap index, Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) class of indices and the Sen’s index were employed to measure the incidence and intensity of poverty and the effects of various household characteristics on the standard of living of the household. The results show that the incidence of extreme poverty increased between the two survey periods. The poor who were mostly found in the rural areas were involved basically in forestry and agriculture-related activities and across levels of the education system they had little or no education. Poverty incidence was also higher in the Northern Savanna area compared to the Forest area, Coastal and Northern Savanna areas.

Carving out indigenous tree species to sustain rural livelihood

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Wood carving is an age old business well known for its cultural and economic significance. The industry is characterized by commercial carving activities creating employment for different categories of people in both rural and urban centres across Ghana. However, the over-dependence on a few selected indigenous tree species for carving is a source of concern, threatening local livelihoods and survival of the industry. This study sought to investigate the sources, availability and sustainability of tree species used, awareness of alternative species for carving and the contribution of the wood carving business to livelihood. It was evident that over 80% of respondents interviewed depend solely on carving business for their livelihoods. Only two tree species, which is species from the ebony group (Diospyros spp.) and Holarrhena floribunda out of the 14 tree species identified were frequently used. The study also showed that current supply of wood resources is unsustainable and there are no attempts by people in the business to establish plantations. This was attributed to difficulty in land acquisition, lack of access to credit, apathy and the long maturity period required for most forest trees. Immediate action is required to address these challenges to sustain the wood carving industry and the livelihood of the people.

Machining characteristics of khaya senegalensis and anogeisus leiocarpus

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Khaya senegalensis (Kuntunkuri) and Anogeisus leiocarpus (Kane) have been found to be in abundance in the Savannah Zone of Ghana where other Ghanaian primary species are scarcely available. In contribution to the promotion of these species, the turning, shaping, boring and sanding properties were studied. The results have shown that Khaya has a better turning, shaping, boring and sanding properties than Kane. Spindle and feed speeds were found to have significant effect on the two wood species at P ≤ 0.05. The higher the spindle speed, the better the turning and shaping qualities of the species. Spindle speeds of 2,800 rpm and 6,000 rpm used for turning and shaping tests respectively, generated Grade I quality samples for Khaya and Kane. Spindle speeds of 900 rpm and 1,400 rpm combined effectively with feed speeds of 0.9mm/mim, 1.5mm/min, 2.4mm/min and 3.9mm/min to produce Grade I bored holes in the two species while combinations of 2.4mm/min, 3.9mm/min and 300 rpm; 1.5mm/min, 2.4mm/min, 3.9mm/min and 600 rpm and 0.9mm/min, 1.5mm/min and 2,200 rpm achieved Grade I of bored holes for the species. The amount off-size in the bored boles was higher in Khaya than in Kane and the off-size increased with increasing spindle speed. The average variation from size of bored holes in Khaya and Kane with the six spindle speeds (300, 600, 900, 1,400, 2,200 and 2,900 rpm) was 0.3567 mm and 0.3233 mm respectively. Grit sizes of 40 and 60 sanded off any chipped/torn grain defects that were observed on Khaya while grit 40 eliminated the same effect on Kane. The relative freedom from fuzzing in Kane was higher than in Khaya when grits 100, 120 and 150 were used but the relative resistance to scratching with the same grits was evaluated to be higher in Khaya than in Kane. Therefore for effective preparation of the wood species for the application of finishes, grit sizes higher than 150 are recommended. The good machining qualities of Khaya coupled with its aesthetic Mahogany-like colour make it recommendable to the furniture industry while Kane is recommended to the construction industry where quality is not of prime importance. The species should therefore be grown in plantations establishment, especially in the savannah zone where they are reported to grow well to support the proposed industry.

Ghana Journal of Forestry: trend, challenges and way forward

2012-02-01T17:00:28+00:00

Scholarly journals are important source of relevant and quality publications. The journals provide current and up-to-date information to facilitate research, teaching, learning and knowledge dissemination. Research institutions, universities, and major professional associations publish scholarly journals as one of their core functions. The Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) has since 1994 been publishing the Ghana Journal of Forestry as a medium for disseminating its research findings.

This paper discusses the process and experience of the publication of the Ghana Journal of Forestry. It highlights the role of the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana as the publisher, the Editorial Board and Committee, as well as Researchers and authors’ contributions in ensuring the sustainability of the journal. The paper also examines the constraints and challenges facing the publication of the journal and the way forward.