ABSTRACT
The forests in Africa cover about 650 million hectares and represent more than 17% of the world’s forests. They are important for cultural, socioeconomic development, and environmental services. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP; 2000) forests contribute up to 6% of gross domestic product (GDP) in rich forest countries. Despite this immense status, Africa’s natural forest share of the global trade is a mere 2% and its people are among the world’s poorest.
