CoP17 Prop. 57

Inclusion of Pterocarpus erinaceus in Appendix II, without annotation
Proponents: Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, European Union, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo
Summary: Pterocarpus erinaceus is a slow growing, medium sized, generally deciduous tree found in open
forest and wooded savannah in Sub-Sahelian West Africa, with a broad distribution including Burkina Faso,Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo andpossibly Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It is a pioneer species, readily colonising
fallow land, and is drought tolerant once established. It regenerates quickly after coppicing and is reasonably
resistant to fire, usually surviving the yearly savannah bush fires. The species can mature at around 5cm
stem diameter1. It is an important species ecologically due to its atmospheric nitrogen fixing properties which
may improve soil fertility.
Population studies undertaken show that average tree density varies widely: in Burkina Faso, Niger andTogo it ranges from 1.17 ± 0.75 trees/ha to 110.9 ± 1.15 trees/ha 2 3, with average stem diameter ranging
from ca. 25cm to ca. 50cm. It has been observed that many mature trees remain in Sierra Leone: in the100km2 around Lake Sonfon in Sierra Leone there are an estimated total of 500,000 - 1 million individual
trees1, and trees here are of a larger average size than those observed in Burkina Faso4.
The species is of high socio-cultural importance in the region and is widely used locally in construction andfurniture making, as medicine, for musical instruments, charcoal, dyes and fodder for livestock.
The species has been heavily exploited for international trade in recent years with nearly all recorded trade
going to China. It is amongst the species classified under China’s Hongmu Standard, a list of 33 species,
including Pterocarpus spp., Dalbergia spp., Diospyros spp., Millettia spp. and Cassia spp., whose density,texture and colour match the requirements for the manufacture of luxury Hongmu furniture. Recorded
Chinese imports of logs increased from ca. 3000 m3 in 2009 to 700,000m3 in 20145. A typical yield of 0.8m 3
is estimated for a relatively large (50cm dbh) tree6, so that reported imports to China in 2014 would haverequired the harvesting of nearly 900,000 large trees.
The species has been protected under forest law in most range States, in some cases since 1996, due toconcerns about failing population management and unsustainable use. There are total export bans in at least
seven range States. Recommended average felling diameter ranges from 35-65cm. However, there is little
evidence of forest management plans in place for this species, or of effective controls regulating national use
or international trade. In some countries only specimens of ca. 30 cm stem diameter or over are being
logged, but in others, for instance Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire trees of a smaller stem
diameter are also targeted7. Logs of this species are widely available on the internet, in any quantity
requested, and shipped from ports in countries with export bans in place.
In order to ensure the listing covers those parts of the species that first enter or dominate the international
market (and as listings with annotations may be circumvented, for instance #5 by minimal working of thewood prior to export) the proposal is without annotation.
Analysis: Pterocarpus erinaceus is a tree species which it is harvested for timber and has a number of otherlocal uses. There is evidence of rapid increase in export of timber from range States in the past six years
largely to meet demand in China for Hongmu timber used in furniture-making. A proportion of this export,
possibly the majority, appears to be unauthorised or illegal. The species is widespread and adaptable andmay be at least locally abundant. It may also mature at a size considerably smaller than that at which it isharvested for timber. The current level of harvest for timber is likely to be unsustainable, in that it almost
certainly exceeds the rate at which harvestable-sized trees are being replenished in the population, but it
seems unlikely that regulation of trade is required to prevent the species from becoming eligible for inclusion
in Appendix I in the near future, or that regulation of trade is required to ensure that harvest of specimens is
not reducing the population to a level at which its survival might be threatened.
Reviewers: C. Duvall, C. Hin Keong and S. Oldfield.
References:Information not referenced in the Summary section is from the Supporting Statement.
1 van der Burgt, X. (2016) In litt., to the IUCN/TRAFFIC Analyses Team, Cambridge, UK.

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Novinyo, S.K., Kossi, A., Habou, R., Raoufou, R.A., Dzifafa, K.A., Andre, B. B., Ali, M., Sokpon, N. & Kouami, K. (2014)
Spatial Distribution of Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. (Fabaceae) Natural Stands in the Sudanian and Sudano-Guinean
Zones of West Africa: Gradient Distribution and Productivity Variation across the Five Ecological Zones of Togo. Annual
Research & Review in Biology, 6: 89-102.
3 Segla, N.K., Rabioub, H., Adjonoua, K., Moussad, B.M., Saleyb, K., Radjia, R.A., Kokutsea, A.D., Bationoc, A. B.,
Mahamaneb, A. & Kokoua, K. (2016) Population structure and minimum felling diameter of Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir inarid and semi-arid climate zones of West Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 103:17-24.
4 Balinga, M. (2016) In litt., to the IUCN/TRAFFIC Analyses Team, Cambridge, UK
5EIA (2016) The Hongmu Challenge: A briefing for the 66th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.
http://www.illegal-logging.info/content/hongmu-challenge-briefing-66th-meeting-cites-standing-committee. Viewed June2016.
6 Duvall, C.S. (2008) Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Louppe, D., Oteng-Amoako, A.A. &Brink, M. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale),
Wageningen, Netherlands http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp. Viewed June 2016.
7 Tosso, F. (2016) In litt., to the IUCN/TRAFFIC Analyses Team, Cambridge, UK.

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