While working on his bachelor's thesis, trainee forest engineer Olivers Reinhards travelled to the jungles of Gabon. Carrying out a preliminary study, the 25-year-old wanted to find out whether sustainable timber harvesting is possible there – in Africa. In this article he describes his experience.
Olivers Reinhards: I have always been interested in forest management, which is why I studied forest science at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL). The tropical regions are of particular concern to me, and I wanted to know whether timber could be harvested there just as sustainably as we do it in Switzerland. To find out, this spring I travelled to Africa as part of my bachelor's thesis, to the forests of Gabon, to the company “Precious Woods AG”. Gabon* lies in the central part of Africa, on the Atlantic coast. The Swiss company “Precious Woods AG” holds a timber harvesting concession there covering 600,000 hectares, which corresponds to almost 40% of the total forest area of Switzerland. In addition to harvesting more than 200,000 cubic metres of timber, the company operates three sawmills whose roundwood processing volume exceeds 50,000 cubic metres. “Precious Woods AG” provides more than 500 jobs for local people. The company holds FSC and PEFC certification.
I carried out an initial study into the possible relocation of this company's sawmills to other sites. The main focus had to be on the economic impact of such a process. An interesting side effect of my study was, of course, that I had to familiarise myself with the production processes and with the company. That gave me plenty of opportunity to talk with the workers and the managers and to form an impression of the working environment.
In Gabon almost all forests belong to the state. In order to use forest areas, timber harvesting concessions are granted, which are similar to a lease. A company must draw up a management plan that includes an inventory of the area and the planned operations. If the plan is approved, the company receives management rights for 25 years. After that the process begins again (if the concession is approved). Because the tropical climate is very favourable to plants, the ecosystem is extremely diverse. More than 500 different tree species are found across the concession area. New species are still being discovered today. As they grow, trees, shrubs and lianas make use of every ray of sunlight, which is why the forests are so varied. Even so, only 20 of the 500 tree species are used for commercial purposes, and of those only five or six species are valuable enough to be used for production purposes under present-day conditions.
Timber as an alternative to steel
More than 70% of the harvested timber volume is okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana) , the most common tree in the forests of Gabon. The tree forms mighty trunks; the timber is pink in colour, fragrant, resistant to pests and light, and it is used mainly for the production of veneer and plywood panels. Poorer-quality timber is cut in local sawmills and used in the manufacture of furniture and construction timber. The second most important tree species in Gabon is azobé (Lophira alata). These evergreen broadleaved trees grow up to 40 m tall and are known as ironwood. It is one of the heaviest and most durable timbers available in the world. A cubic metre of this timber weighs more than a tonne. The timber sinks in water. It is used in particular for structures exposed to salt water. Azobé timber is an alternative to specially impregnated timber or even to steel. The third most important tree species is padouk (pterocarpus), known for its ruby-red colour and its resistance to pests.
10% of total reserves
The forest is managed according to a particular, permanent silvicultural system. Diameter is used to assess which trees are suitable and permitted for harvesting. The minimum diameter calculated for each tree species is different. It starts at a diameter of 70 cm at breast height and for some tree species reaches 90 cm. Anything thinner than that must be left to grow. This ensures continuous regeneration and prevents the over-exploitation of tree species; in addition, more than 10% of the concession area is set aside as a reserve, which further meets nature conservation requirements.
The concession is divided into annual timber harvesting units. In each harvesting unit, the trees, the terrain and the watercourses are mapped before timber is harvested. On that basis, the trees suitable for harvesting are selected. Based on this layout, the access roads are built.
During my stay in Gabon I came to understand that the loggers work very professionally and are highly competent. The trees are felled with large Stihl MS-780 chainsaws. Each two-person team consists of a foreman and his apprentice. The master concentrates on felling the trees, allowing the apprentice to learn the skills in practice. After a year or two the apprentice can take over the work. Each team leaves a distinctive mark on the log, which an inspector then records. The inspector assesses the way the cut was made, the direction of felling and the intended skidding route. The team is then given a rating – a score from zero to ten. If the average rating exceeds eight points, a bonus is awarded. Wages are paid per cubic metre.
I was also allowed to work alongside the loggers. After two months came a working week during which I was able to try out the whole process involved in felling trees, and I was even able to fell and move a few trees myself. Bulldozers and forwarders were used for extracting the trees. In this terrain the bulldozer is indispensable — for road building, for creating tracks and for moving heavy logs. There are also workers with chainsaws who carry out additional cutting work to make the roundwood collection process easier. In the harvesting process, forwarders are used when logs have to be moved more than 200 metres. Over shorter distances the trees are moved and stacked with bulldozers. The forwarder then takes over the rest of the process. At the roundwood yard the logs are sorted by quality, marked and cross-cut into the required assortments. They are then loaded onto log trucks with a timber loader and transported onwards. When harvesting in a given compartment has been completed, the skidding trails are blocked off and the timber transport bridges are dismantled. The next harvest at that particular site can only be planned 25 years later.
The problem: corruption
After a two-month stay in Gabon I concluded that sustainable forest management in accordance with FSC and PEFC standards is possible in the tropics. It makes sense, and it gives the forest value. The harvesting process protects both the local fauna from poaching and the forest from being converted into agricultural land. For local people, working in timber harvesting means secure and stable employment. Managed correctly, the forest is not destroyed and can supply valuable timber for many generations. The particular problems I see lie in what is happening in the country itself. There is corruption here. It prevents good infrastructure from being built and creates extremely high costs for companies and for the population. Food, for example, is sometimes even more expensive than in Switzerland! All the same, on the whole a spirit of optimism can be felt. That gives hope for a better future.
* Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic (République Gabonaise), is a country on the western coast of Central Africa. To the north-west it borders Equatorial Guinea, to the north Cameroon, and to the east and south the Republic of the Congo. To the west, Gabon is washed by the Gulf of Guinea. Its capital is Libreville, which is also the largest city in the country. The area of Gabon is almost 270,000 km². Gabon is home to around 1.5 million inhabitants, who belong to more than 40 ethnic groups.Gabon is one of the wealthiest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has the fourth highest Human Development Index and the third highest gross domestic product per capita in the region.