PublicationAuthors: Parren, M.P.E. & Bongers, F.
Cameroon - 1999
Language: English
In southern Cameroon an experiment was set up to test whether pre-felling climber cutting
could reduce logging damage. The abundance of lianas in the forest and their resprouting
capacity after cutting was assessed. Logging damage was considered as tree mortality and tree
damage in the felling gaps and the sizes of the created gaps after felling.
Lianas were very abundant : on average nearly 5 000 individuals of which over 100 large ones
per ha. Only a limited number of lianas died after cutting. Resprouting capacity was high but
variable among species. Felling gap sizes (average 550 m² per felled tree) and tree mortality
(12 trees per felled tree) and damage (20 trees per felled tree) were not significantly affected
by pre-felling climber cutting. A minority of the damage was severe. Smaller trees were most
prune to destruction and serious damage. The results show that pre-felling climber cutting has
no significant effect on resulting gap sizes, tree mortality and damage levels. It can be
concluded that overall climber cutting does not contribute to damage reductions at the felling
sites.