Enhancing the environmental role of plantation forests in Ghana

1996

English

Every forest ecosystem no matter how little sophisticated it is, has some environmental role to play. However, courses of action which promote environmental objectives often reduce profits. Profit maximization the dominant criterion in plantation forest management decisions is therefore pushing environmental objectives to their barest minimum. Environmental conservation has consequently become a desideratum in plantation forests in Ghana. Foresters therefore need to re-examine their approach to forest management in order to optimise the conservation role of plantations as well as the provision of other non-timber forest products. Suggested management strategies t achieve this include patronage of indigenous species in reforestation schemes, use of other forms of planting like mosaics and intimate mixtures instead of the conventional pure monoculture and zoning of sites of special conservation interest. Other sre agroforestry techniques and the growing of non-timber forest products in forest plantations. New information is becoming available on indigenous species' performance and potential as plantation crops to motivate Ghanaian foresters to become more organic.

Foli, E. G.; Agyeman, V. K.