By the late 16th or early 17th century the Bassar region is documented as becoming a large scale producer for supra-regional export. The Bassar region was identified by German colonists as having suffered from the slash and burn technique used to clear land for planting crops. This of course concentrated the demand on the land in terms of agricultural production and iron productions. The new ability to trade iron commodities locally or intra-regionally had the effect of shifting individuals from solely subsistence farming. These communities were the first in supply chain to be impacted by the diminished forest reserves.
All wood is devoured as charcoal needed by the high furnaces.
As the result of the passage of years, there is such a dearth of work in this region that even their neighboring landscapes are exploited. Principally, the bordering western Konkomba have become the suppliers of charcoal for the Banjeli people. Iron production has in this way exerted a not insignificant influence on the adjacent landscape. The type of wood selected for the charcoal helped to determine the quality of iron produced. Trade Clusters 12.