ABSTRACT
The Ituri Forest as a human habitat has been gradually modified through the interaction of vegetation, animals, Mbuti and villagers, and cannot, therefore, be called a 'pristine forest'. In this chapter, the author examines how the people might use the Mbuti case to establish such a model, focusing on the sustainable use of forest. The forest provides the Mbuti with many useful resources which are not commercially exploited, but which are none the less important to their spiritual as well as material life, both directly and indirectly. Even twenty years after the introduction of the meat trade into this area, the annual catch of the Mbuti was estimated at 10 to 15 per cent of the standing stock, which is well within the range of sustainable use. Scattered in the primary forest of Caesalpiniaceae trees, there are patches of light-demanding trees, or trees growing in disturbed areas.
