Direct Effects of Logging
Commercial logging in northern Congo is largely selective, only harvesting a limited number of high-value timber species. This means that the direct impacts of forestry exploitation, such as canopy loss, are not as severe as in those regions of the world that adopt a clear-cut approach. However, as companies exploit an increasing number of tree species, canopy loss and habitat disturbance will likely become a serious threat in some areas. Poor road planning results in unnecessary canopy damage and unsustainable extraction are a threat to the species composition of the forests. Disturbance of forest clearings by forest exploitation practices is a threat to wildlife reliant on these habitats for food and micro-nutrients.
The most direct effect is the depletion of the commercial timber and the removal of aboveground biomass. Roughly 20 tree species are currently being logged on a regular basis in northern Congo, and the harvesting intensity is on average 2-3 trees per hectare. However, over 85% of the timbers harvested belong to the genus of Entandrophragma (African mahogany), and over 70% are of one species, E. cylindricum ("sapelli" or "sapele"). Although Entandrophragma is one of the more common genus in the forest of northern Congo, the future of these species is bleak if the current harvesting trend continues without adequate sustainable forest management practices. Moreover, the long-term effects on forest composition and structure could lead to further impoverishment of valuable timbers and the devaluation of the forest.