Project Team
Apertorgbor, M.M., Adu Bredu, S., Dabo, J. and Mensah, J.K.

Background
The Bobiri Forest Reserve has played a significant role in education, research and recreation since its establishment in 1939. It is one of the popular forest reserves designated as a butterfly sanctuary in Ghana. The forest, although perceived to be floristically rich, lacks carefully compiled and up-to-date data on flora composition, richness, abundance and diversity. This knowledge gap does not only undermine the effective functioning of the reserve, but also fails to depict modern practices and trends in forest reserve management.

Read more ...

Project Team
Ofori, D.A., Anglaaere, L.C.N., Bandoh, W., Amissah, L., Dwomoh, F. & Mireku, J.

Background
Work on this project commenced in January 2008 and was completed in December 2009. The Densu River is one of the four (4) major rivers within the coastal water system of Ghana and it supplies water to over 2 million people in its catchments located in the most densely populated districts in Ghana. Over the past 30 years, Ghana has been experiencing gradual but constant decline of water flow and water quality in its major water systems. This situation has been attributed mainly to unsustainable agriculture and forestry practices that have lead to the degradation of the watershed ecosystem.

Read more ...

Project Team
Appiah, J.K., Ofori, J., Wilson Owusu, F. and Essien C.

Background
Most of the primary timber species in Ghana are dwindling in numbers and facing possible extinction from the Ghanaian forests due to over-exploitation. Some lesser-used species have therefore been promoted to replace those species that are being over-exploited. In the forests of Ghana, wood from non-traditional sources like the palmae species including Borassus palm and Broussonetia papyrifera are in abundance but unutilized. It is therefore important that Borassus palm and Broussonetia papyrifera be effectively promoted and utilised as raw materials in Ghana’s wood industry. This requires knowledge of their physical and drying characteristics to provide information concerning their suitability for specific end-uses.

Read more ...

Project Team
Adu-Bredu, S. & Djabletey G.D.

Background
The living tree biomass, under-storey vegetation, litter, woody debris and soil organic matter have been specified as the main carbon pools in tropical forest ecosystems. The carbon stored in the aboveground living biomass of trees is typically the largest pool and the most directly impacted by deforestation and degradation. A chunk of carbon is often removed in the form of wood from natural forest during logging under the selective logging system, as practiced in Ghana. The questions that need to be answered are: Is the forest able to naturally recover with respect to floristic composition and carbon stock (vegetation and soil)? Is there a build up or a decline in carbon stock with time? Is the forest resilient enough without any intervention?

Read more ...

Project Team
Oteng Amoako, A. & Essien, C.

Background
Bamboo is one of the oldest and most versatile building materials with many applications in the field of construction. Diminishing wood resources and restrictions imposed on felling in natural forests in the tropics have necessitated the need to identify a substitute material which is environmentally friendly, widely available and adaptable to varying climatic and edaphic conditions with properties superior to most juvenile fast growing woods. Bamboo emerged as the most suitable alternative.

Read more ...

Project Team
E. G. Foli & S. E. Akpalu

Background
The rate of environmental degradation in the drier forest (savannah) zones of Ghana is of great concern because it is contributing to climate change and its deleterious effects such as torrential rains and floods. Such catastrophic events eventually affect the livelihoods and property of many poor rural folks whose existence is intricately linked with the environment in which they live. Rural communities in these areas depend heavily on the few indigenous trees available, not only for their effects in mitigating the harsh weather conditions, but also in sustaining water availability, provision of food, fodder for animals and as fuel wood for cooking and other household needs.

Read more ...

Project Team
T. Peprah

Background
Increased population pressure and the need for more land for agriculture, infrastructure and illegal felling of trees have led to Ghana experiencing rapid depletion of tree cover. The industrial trees that have greater export value are diminishing faster in our forests. Ghana’s forest policy provides for the sustainable management of Ghana’s forest resources. The Government has over the years encouraged community participation in afforestation programmes and private forestry. Many tree-planting programmes have been developed and are being promoted in Ghana. The focus is on a range of species including Terminalia ivorensis, Nauclea diderrichii, Ceiba pentandra,Cedrela odorata and Tectona grandis (Teak).

Read more ...

Project team
J. Ofori, J. K. Appiah, F. W. Owusu, A. I. Mohammed, B. Brentuo & M. Mensah

Background
Sustainable forest management has been made a priority in Ghana, and the government is now actively pursuing the use of Lesser-Used-Species (LUS) and plantation species to reduce the pressure on the more popular timber species.

Read more ...