Poster (Scientific congresses and symposiums)
Nineteenth century human history explains the dominance of light-demanding tree species in Central African moist forests
Morin, Julie; Fayolle, Adeline; Favier, Charly et al.
2015Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Symposium
 

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Keywords :
archaeology; history; European colonization; central Africa; Cameroon; Republic of the Congo; Central African Republic; tropical forests; tropical Africa; tree ring analysis; radiocarbon; human settlements; human disturbances; slash and burn agriculture; charcoal; oil palm; erosion; tree age; IUCN; endangered species; light-demanding trees
Abstract :
[en] The canopy of central African moist forests is dominated by light-demanding trees. Most of these species show a distribution of diameters that indicates a regeneration shortage. Here we show through the combined analysis of botanical, palaeoecological, archaeological and historical data that most of these trees are not older than ca. 180 years. This age corresponds to the early 19th century (around 1830) when the slave-raiding, the interethnic wars and the colonization of the inlands by the Europeans disturbed the human spatial occupancy. After 1885, the spatial clumping of people and villages along the main communication axes induced less itinerancy in the forest. We believe that former activities such as shifting cultivation created scattered openings in the canopy, large enough to allow light-demanding trees to establish. Nowadays, common logging operations do not create openings sufficiently large for the regeneration of these high value timber species. Our findings emphasize the need to include considerations about the history of human spatial occupancy and activities to understand forest dynamics. We need silvicultural guidelines adapted to the autecology of the species. Population enforcements (e.g. enrichment) will be needed to ensure the sustainability of timber yields in forests dominated by long-lived light-demanding trees.
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Life sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Archaeology
History
Arts & humanities: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Earth sciences & physical geography
Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Author, co-author :
Morin, Julie ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Form. doct. sc. agro. & ingé. biol.
Fayolle, Adeline  ;  Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Gestion des ressources forestières et des milieux naturels
Favier, Charly;  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS
Bremond, Laurent;  EPHE
Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie;  CIRAD
Lejeune, Philippe ;  Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Gestion des ressources forestières et des milieux naturels
Beeckman, Hans;  Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale
Doucet, Jean-Louis ;  Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales
Language :
English
Title :
Nineteenth century human history explains the dominance of light-demanding tree species in Central African moist forests
Publication date :
21 March 2015
Number of pages :
A0
Event name :
Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Symposium
Event organizer :
Evolutionary Biology & Ecology - ULB
Event place :
Brussels, Belgium
Event date :
21 March 2015
Funders :
FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture [BE]
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
FRFC - Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Collective [BE]
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