Title: "The Tropenbos Guyana Programme Botanical diversity and non-food forest products"

Project number:B7-5041/94.09/VIII/FOR

Amount: 381.000 ECU

Contractor: The TROPENBOS Foundation

Field: conservation/botanical aspects

Country: Guyana

Date of signature: 28/12/94; date of receipt by the Commission: 17/01/95

Duration: 54 months

The project falls apart into two components:

• botanical diversity which comprises two studies; 1.1 botanical diversity and the effects of logging; 1.2 major forest types and botanical diversity.
• a component on non-wood products.

This study will contribute to the knowledge on botanical diversity and forest ecosystems and on key-stone species in particular and, will indicate where the critical areas are located.

Objectives:

1.1) to quantify botanical diversity, to analyse the impact of logging on the botanical diversity of Greenheart forest in Guyana, and to test various hypotheses of maintenance of diversity;

1.2) to make an inventory and to classify the major forest types and floristic composition in a selected area;

2) to increase knowledge on non-wood forest products (NWFP) of plant origin in the region.

Activities:

1.1) "Botanical diversity and the effects of logging":

- to make an inventory of the botanical diversity in greenheart forest in Guyana;

- to analyse the impact of logging on botanical diversity;

- to test various hypotheses of maintenance of diversity.

1.2 )"Major forest types and botanical diversity"

- to describe and map the major forest types, including botanical diversity parameters;

- to extrapolate the data on botanical diversity to other areas

2) "Non-wood forest products (NWFP) of the North-West District and the Pomeroon region, Guyana.

- to make an inventory of the available plants for the extraction of NWFP;

- to obtain insight in the purpose for which the NWFP are used;

- to understand the role of these plants and to study their extraction by local communities;

- to compare the above mentioned data for three different sites

Results expected:

1.1) "Botanical diversity and the effects of logging":

Detailed vegetation description of forest composition; identification of botanical key species for forest management and protection; data on species and forest composition in 15 ha (where a pre-harvest enumeration before logging has been made) two years after logging; data on species and forest composition in plots logged 4,6,8,10 and more years ago.

Identified key species for forest management and forest protection can be used for monitoring the impact of logging on the ecosystem and on botanical diversity. This botanical diversity project deals with the conservation aspects of biological diversity while the others aspects are mainly focused on sustainable productivity.

1.2) "Major forest types and botanical diversity":

• Classification of major forest types and a vegetation map in which botanical diversity parameters are included, list of plant families, genera, and species within the area;
• Guidelines for methods of forest exploitation which cause minimal damage to diversity.

2) "Non-wood forest products (NWFP) of the North-West District and the Pomeroon region, Guyana".

• Inventory of all plants in the research area producing NWFP, containing names (scientific and local), and uses;
• Information provided such as the abundance and habitat preferences of the source plants, harvesting and subsequent processing;
• Illustrations;
• Analysis of the differences in the use of NWFP among the communities studied, to be prepared in collaboration with the anthropology project.

Results of chemical analyses may yield interesting data for further research related to the pharmaceutical potential of NWFP, a subject receiving strong increasing interest.

Beneficiaries:

Foresters and planners, policy makers and scientists, ecologists and economists, local communities.

Implementation strategy:

Training (for local field assistants, monitoring techniques for students and members of participating institutions, PhD programme including stay in Netherlands); involvement of local institutes/people; distribution of results (brochures and publications, seminars and workshops)

Tropenbos will be responsible for the recruitment and management of all personnel. The programme will be implemented with the full endorsement of the National Tropenbos Committee-Guyana (12 Guyanes, 3 Dutch members). The programme teamleader who is responsible for overall supervision and day-to-day management of all Tropenbos activities in Guyana will ensure the integration of projects concerned in the overall Tropenbos-Guyana Programme.

Third progress report concerning the period from January to June 1996 underline that the project is making good progress, despite of some difficulties in the starting phase.

Botanical diversity (and the effects of logging):

The initial stage of the field work has been completed; the botanical samples have been handed over the herbarium of Guyana and data analysis has been started.

Major forest types and botanical diversity:

A first start was made with the imput of data of two large inventories carried out in Guyana in the late sixties. these two inventories, funded by FAO and UNDP comprise the Great Falls area, which coincides with the area of study.

Recruitment of researcher met with difficulties, which resulted in a delay of the start of the project. Due to the less time available for field work, a slightly different approach to the whole project has been taken.

A fully operational database was constructed for the data of the national Reconnaissance Inventory. All data for the great Falls Inventory was put in and corrected. The data will serve as a basis for the vegetation map of the 250.000 ha project area and a map for Guyana with forest compositions, species distribution, species richness, concentration of local endemism. Furthermore the data will assist the Government of Guyana in the process of establishing a protected area strategy.

Non timber forest products of the North-West district and the Pameroon region:

The project is on the schedule.

The inventory of non-timber forest products, used in the North-West districts almost completed (a total of 250 wild and 10 cultivated plants). because of the absence of a market, caused by isolation and transport difficulties, there is trade in non-timber forest products but, on subsistence level, they are very important for the local population. The forest types in the region are Mora dominated swamp forest and well-drained mixed forest with Licana and Eschweilera. Both forests are very little disturbed.

The first results show that 64 species of wild fruit are consumed by local population. There are 72 wild plants used for medicinal purposes. Also many different wood species are used for house construction.

Co-operation was established with amongst others the Free University of Brussels and the Kent University, which participate in the programme "Avenir des Peuples Tropicales".

A sub-programme was established to co-ordinate the research activities in the same region and to exchange results.

The results obtained until now can help to fill the gap of knowledge on NWFP as used by Guyanese Amerindians. The variety of forest products used by this community also show how much these people depend on the surrounding forest for their daily subsistence.