1. Overview

Observation of the status of wood – products for their expanse and condition is becoming more and more an important issue, especially under the impression of over-exploitation by an increasing population, its distribution, income levels and life styles.

Observations of climatic charges such as drops in the annual rainfalls, annual bush fires, agricultural cultivation etc. are probably linked to the changes of the vegetation cover. Because of this dynamic of the vegetation in the Gambia, over the years, the land use systems have significantly charged since 1980.According to S. Teusan (1998) the most striking changes in land -use between 1980 and 1993 are the increase of the class "Tree and Shrub Savanna" (+ 7.10 %) and a decrease of "Fallow Area" (-4.58 %) as well as "Savanna Woodland"(-2.90 %). The other land-use classes remained relatively unchanged, showing a fluctuation of more or less 1-%. The pure forestlands, which were capable of providing the Gambia population with the much-needed wood products both for domestic and commercial uses, have been seriously degraded.

Management and protection of these products are becoming increasingly necessary to ensure their sustainable utilisation. Strengthening data collection and analysis provide the necessary basis for management and planning, and allow the assessment of our interventions for improving our national forest policy and strategies. In the Gambia one of the institutionalised methods of data collection and analysis entrenched in our national forest policy is to conduct a national forest resource inventory every 10 years and also to set up a monitory system of land use changes. Various studies have indicated that the total forest land area, that is 43% of the total surface area of the country, remains the same and that forest degradation processes are on going. Ludwig and Bojang (1998) reported a reduction rate of deforestation from 6% to 3.11% annually between 1980 and 1993. These processes steadily reduce both the biological and economic productivity of our forest and the surrounding farmlands containing parkland species, on which the livelihood of the majority of the Gambia population depends for sustenance.

According to Ludwig, R and Bojang, L (1998) inventory report, the overall average annual increment of 0.6m\ha for timber and firewood species indicates that for the time being the amount of sustainable harvestable timber is small. The changes observed in the species composition of woodlands and savannahs could result to more uniform stands of only few species, which will not provide the great variation of wood products as the local population is used to harvest. This will be catastrophic for the Gambia. At present over 90% of the Gambia population both rural and urban uses firewood and charcoal as domestic energy for cooking heating, ironing etc. Other wood products of very important economic values to the majority of the Gambia population are:

Fence posts:

Poles for roofing

Timber for construction

Rhun palm splits for roofing

Wood -product processing and sales also provide trade and employment opportunities to significant number of the Gambia population. Presently, there are four (4) saw- mills and about 120 Re-saw machines located in various parts of the country producing sawn- wood for local construction. Pit sawing which is the oldest method of wood processing was band in 1994.

The importance of wood products to both the house-hold and national economy will certainly be difficult to determine due to lack of accurate data, however their importance could be reflected on the job creation and level of consumption. Keith Openshaw (1973) reported the per capita consumption of sawn-wood as 0.00611cbm and W. Schindele & M.F. Bangura (1988) reported the per capita consumption as 0.00712. The comparison of these two figures shows 16% increase in 15 years and estimated average increment of 1% per annum.