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| Citation | ||
Bobiri Forest Reserve
( 6°41' N, 1°21' W).
Bobiri reserve is a nearly 5000 ha high canopy forest, located ~20 km southeast of Kumasi and 4 km off the Kumasi-Accra road at Kubease. The reserve is actively managed for timber. These activities are regulated by the Ghana Forestry Commission and logging of individual compartments is restricted to 40-year intervals. The reserve is also a site for basic and applied forest research and the nearby Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) has a number of active ongoing projects. Many areas of the forest are not easily accessible and sections the P.I. is personally familiar with are somewhat to very degraded. However, significant sections of mostly intact canopy are also present. The reserve supports a generally rich biota, although hunting and trapping is common and mammals are scarce. Primates have been completely eliminated from readily accessible areas. Local villagers from Kubease regularly tap and collect palm wine from trees in the forest and some of these wine tapper camps are fairly large clearings in the forest. Additionally, firewood is actively collected and the felling of small trees is not uncommon. A butterfly sanctuary and guesthouse for overnight visitors is located ~2km beyond the boundary gate to the forest. This guesthouse serves as the PI’s base of operations in-country. The butterfly sanctuary was the brainchild of Dr. Joe Cobbinah, Director, FORIG, and Dr. Mike Wagner, Professor, Northern Arizona University. Its creation is helping to foster 1) biodiversity conservation, 2) an income source for local community members that helps promote sustainable use of forest products, and 3) a place where Ghanaians and foreign nationals alike can learn about and enjoy the country’s unique and beautiful forest communities. |
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