Plantations - Reforestation

FORM is experienced in four main fields of plantation establishment:

• Community forestry
• Research & Plantations 
• Commercial plantations 
• Anti-Erosion plantations

Community forestry
FORM International has executed several projects for the establishment of community forests in West and Central Africa. The establishment of these projects was realised in partnership with the population concerned through participatory prioritisation processes. Through this approach some 80 villages were helped in improving their environment, securing presence of medicinal plants and improving fruit- and oil production.

Research & Plantations
Plantations with rotations between 20 – 40 years have been established in Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon as test plots and research sites. In Ivory Coast tests were conducted to develop high quality Iroko planting material (Milicia excelsa).
In Ghana there are a number of Forest Reserves, which have been degraded due to illegal logging, agricultural activities and bush fires. Some of these areas have been reserved by the Government of Ghana for plantation establishment. FORM has executed various feasibility studies and pilot projects to prepare large-scale industrial and social reforestation projects. In Cameroon a plantation project was started to valorise degraded lands using a mix of both fast growing exotics and slower growing local tree species, to valorise degraded lands.

Commercial Plantations
FORM established several plantations for private investment funds (see also FORM-Ghana). These plantations have been set up with mainly fast growing high value timber species like Teak and Terminalia spp. (Ofram, Emeri, Fraké). FORM has a vast experience in screening species and provenances on their resistance, high production and suitability related to the soil and we have access to a range of selected provenances of indigenous and exotic species.

Anti-erosion plantations
A project was executed in Cameroon in which tree planting was used to reclaim laterite quarries and to stabilise the weak soil on slopes. The reclaiming was done with vigourous local species, whereas the slopes were planted with grasses and dispersed trees to quickly install a matting of roots with deep sinkers to keep it in place.

Plantation management, monitoring and evaluation
FORM International, through its experience in planting and management of plantations, can execute, monitor and evaluate plantation management:

Management of plantations
The most important element for success is, next to the choice of species and varieties, a proper management. Plantations can benefit tremendously from a thorough check of management and management objectives. Objectives will be achieved better through proper evaluations and the right planning of management interventions, while costs will be reduced at the same time.

Monitoring of plantations
FORM has extensive experience in the monitoring of plantations. Monitoring fits several needs such as the evaluation of the effect of sylvicultural treatments or the evaluation of the development of the forest. For large scale forest monitoring, FORM has established a partnership with SARVISION (FORM-SARVISION) which is a leading company on Remote Sensing and advanced RADAR technology (see brochure)

Evaluation and validation of plantations
FORM has gained considerable experience in the evaluation of plantations, regarding the technical aspects of the species used and the management applied, and of financial aspects: e.g. the valuation of plantations. The financial evaluation of plantations is an important tool for investors seeking to justify investments long before timber will be harvested.

For a list of our plantation projects, please click here.