This report presents findings of a case study on forest harvesting in natural forest of the Congo. The overall objective is to contribute to the development of sustainable forest management in the tropics through the establishment of credible data on forest harvesting practices and harvesting impacts in tropical high forests. The study aims at the establishment of reliable data on a ground harvesting system in the tropics, using power saws, crawler tractors and wheeled skidders. The study has been carried out in co-operation with a large private contractor operating a concession in the Republic of Congo. The concession consists of approximately 150,000 hectare of closed-canopy, broad-leaved forest located in the Chaillu Massif in southern Congo, at the border to Gabon. The annually harvested area is approximately 15,000 hectare. Annual rainfalls in the region average approximately 1,800 mm. The case study consists of a study inventory, a harvesting performance study and a harvesting impact assessment. The size of the study area is 150 ha, subdivided into three harvesting compartments of 50 ha each. The terrain is slightly mountainous, with water courses and seasonal swampy areas between elevations. The average harvesting intensity is only 5-6 m3 net log volume or approximately one tree per hectare.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Africa

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
Production