Forest Reserves in Ghana

A forest reserve is an area of forest set aside and preserved by the government as a wilderness, national park, or the like.

There are serval forest reserves in Ghana, namely;

·       Abonyere, this forest contains about 37 different species of timber.

·       Ayum, 40 timber species.

·       Bia-Tano, 56 timber species.

·       Bonkoni, 43 timber species.

·       Subim, 40 timber species etc.

Among the forest reserves the Atewa Range Forest reserve in the Eastern Region of Ghana, is the largest reserve which covers the total land size of 23,663 hectares.

Importance of forest reserves

Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.

The forest also plays a significant role in the provision of food, fuel, clothing, shelter, furniture, natural medicine, potable water supply source, bush meat, and land for agriculture for the rural communities. [ saforestryonline.co.za>forestry_in_africa]

Forestry provides great places for recreation. Foresters manage forests that provide recreational benefits to communities. Through licensing and leasing processes, landowners are able to make their land and lakes available to recreational enthusiast for hunting, fishing, camping and more.

Problems with the forest reserve

There are a few main drivers of forest degradation. One is climate change: higher temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns increase the risk and severity of forest fires, pest infestation, and disease. But the main cause of forest degradation is unsustainable and illegal logging.

The timber industry, cocoa farming, and population increase have caused the forest reserve degradation, a loss of wildlife habitats, an out-migration of elephants, buffalos, and chimpanzees, a loss of plant biodiversity, and an invasion by weeds.

Ghana, a country located in West Africa, has been facing severe deforestation problems for decades. Deforestation, the clearing of forests for commercial or industrial activities, has numerous negative impacts on the environment, economy, and society.10 Mar 2023.

Humans have converted forest to agricultural and urban uses, exploited species, fragmented wildlands, changed the demographic structure of forests, altered habitat, degraded the environment with atmospheric and soil pollutants, introduced exotic pests and competitors, and domesticated favored species.

Suggested solutions to preserve the forest

To restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down. Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment. Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife. Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment.1[ Apr 2019]

The best way to avoid them is to stop the destruction of forests in the first place. In the example of Ghana, solutions include the regulation of the logging industry, the development of forest protection schemes and a variety of policies addressing human activities that promote this practice. [24 Mar 2022]