An integrated forest‐to‐market approach to promote lesser‐known timber species (LKTS) in a domestic timber market in the Congo Basin

Societal Impact Statement

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In the Congo Basin, domestic timber markets account for ~40% of timber consumption, yet demand is concentrated on a few high‐value species also sought after on international markets, raising concerns about their long‐term availability. We combine market, wood, and forest data to assess the potential of lesser‐known timber species (LKTS) to support a sustainable local timber supply. Although marginally used, some LKTS combine wood properties suited to local uses with greater forest availability or regeneration potential. This provides a practical basis for selecting LKTS based not only on wood properties but also on local knowledge of timber quality and forest availability.

Summary

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The continued reliance on a few high‐value commercial species in the Congo Basin raises concerns about their long‐term availability. This study adopts an integrated forest‐to‐market approach to assess the potential of lesser‐known timber species (LKTS) to support sustainable timber supply in the domestic market of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Surveys and wood sampling were conducted in sawmills and joinery workshops to identify locally traded timber species and their uses. Local uses were then compared with measured wood properties and local craftworkers' perceptions of these properties. Forest inventory data for the identified species were also analysed to assess their availability and dynamics.
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Twenty‐seven timber species were identified, nine of which were particularly widespread in the market. Of the remaining 18 species, 14 were LKTS and
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. Local uses matched reference wood properties, which also aligned with craftworkers' perceptions, highlighting local knowledge of timber quality that may facilitate the market acceptance of species. The nine widespread species variously exhibited low standing stocks (<1 m
3
 ha
−1
), slow growth (<0.5 cm yr
−1
), or limited regeneration, raising concerns about their long‐term capacity to sustain local timber supply. Beyond suitable wood properties, certain LKTS showed advantages in these ecological attributes, highlighting their potential as alternatives for local timber supply.

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This approach could be extended to other domestic timber markets, with LKTS selected based not only on wood properties but also on local knowledge of timber quality and forest resource availability and dynamics.
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