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Journal article
Assessing the impact of China's timber industry on Congo Basin land use change
Area (London 1969), v 51(2), pp 340-349
01 Jun 2019
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Through the rise of global commodity chains, consumer demand in China and the USA has given rise to the extraction of natural resources in the Congo Basin. The Chinese market for high-valued animal products such as elephant ivory and pangolin scales has encouraged poaching, exploitation and trafficking of these goods in Africa. Chinese demand for other African commodities, however, remains less well known. Using data across a 15-year period (2001-2015), we analysed the relationship between Chinese timber imports and tree-cover loss in the Congo Basin. Tree-cover loss was measured via remote sensing and the value of imports was obtained from official trade statistics. Results indicate that the total accumulated export of wood from Congo Basin countries to China doubled between 2001 and 2015, with 50% of exports originating from Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. We found a positive relationship between measures of Chinese logging and the loss of tree cover in the Congo Basin. Further investigation of the timber products market showed that US demand for Chinese-made furniture was positively correlated with Chinese timber imports from the Congo Basin. These findings suggest that US demand for furniture encourages Chinese economic actors to harvest timber from Congo Basin forests. Our results help to illuminate the complex environmental and economic drivers surrounding trade and deforestation and can help inform consumers about more sustainable ways to purchase wood products from one of the world's preeminent biodiversity hotspots.
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Details
- Title
- Assessing the impact of China's timber industry on Congo Basin land use change
- Creators
- Trevon L. Fuller - University of California, Los AngelesThomas P. Narins - Albany State UniversityJanet Nackoney - University of Maryland, College ParkTimothy C. Bonebrake - School of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth Sciences University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR ChinaPaul Sesink Clee - Drexel Univ, Dept Biol, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USAKaty Morgan - University of New OrleansAnthony Trochez - University of California, Los AngelesDemetrio Bocuma Mene - Drexel UniversityEddy Bongwele - Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d’Afrique CentraleKevin Y. Njabo - University of California, Los AngelesNicola M. Anthony - University of New OrleansMary Katherine Gonder - Drexel UniversityMatthew Kahn - University of Southern CaliforniaWalter R. Allen - University of California, Los AngelesThomas B. Smith - University of California, Los Angeles
- Publication Details
- Area (London 1969), v 51(2), pp 340-349
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- 1243524 / Office of Integrative Activities; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Office of the Director (OD)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000467269700018
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85065249849
- Other Identifier
- 991019168910304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Geography