ABSTRACT

Africa’s dry forests and woodlands have been exploited for centuries. Firstly, by local iron-smelting industries, which from 2000 years ago resulted in selective felling of hardwoods that produced good quality charcoal. Secondly, trade in African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) to China from eastern African miombo woodlands. Thirdly, during the colonial period when hardwoods were cut to supply wood for railway sleepers, timber for the mining industries (see Chapter 6) and specialist woods (particularly African blackwood) for niche markets such as musical instruments. By the mid-20th century timber was being exported to Europe (Buckle, 1959). The growing population of Africans during the same period started exerting pressure on the natural forests for timber for construction purposes. The growth in population also led to an increase in the demand for agricultural land leading to the clearing of large swaths of land. Finally there was, during the post-colonial period, commercial exploitation of high value hardwoods for export to Asia, during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia railway and, more recently, a major surge in hardwood use and export during the past decade, especially to China (Mackenzie, 2006). These factors led to the impetus towards a tree growing culture in the dry forest regions of Africa, which inherently have low timber yields when compared to the tropical rain forests.