Client: ITTO/PROTA Foundation
Duration: 2009-2012
Project Team Leader: Dr. J.R. Cobbinah
Background
As part of a programme to improve access to information on the 8000 useful plants of Tropical Africa and to promote their use in a sustainable manner, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) is synthesizing all existing but dispersed knowledge on the estimated 1070 Timbers of Tropical Africa. This second part of the project started in January 2009.
The project will lead to the publication of approximately 300 review articles (English and French) dealing with about 570 timber species of tropical Africa. As of December 2009, completed TEXTFILE review articles reached 87 articles on 161 species. The translation process of TEXTFILE review articles from English into French started in July 2009 and 62 articles have been translated, of which 40 have been validated. The information will be made widely available electronically and in books. One of the important elements in the project is capacity building (author/editorial training) of personnel from key African institutions. Two candidates underwent editorial training at the PROTA Network Office Europe in Wageningen. This project is sponsored by International Tropical Timber Organisation and PROTA Foundation.