Effect of light, fire and weed control on establishment of Pericopsis elata Harms regeneration

Pericopsis elata (a.k.a. African teak) is one of the most valuable timber species in Central Africa. Like other shade intolerant tropical tree species, P. elata could play a vital role in economic development, and ecological sustainability, but regenerates poorly following selective logging. Now endangered, there is a critical need for sustainable silvicultural systems to restore this once prominent timber species. To assess management options for P. elata we analyzed growth performance and survival in primary and secondary forest plots under burning and weeding treatments in Yoko Forest Reserve, Ubundu Democratic Republic of Congo. We transplanted nursery-grown seedlings of P. elata to experimental gaps and followed their growth and survival for 1 year. Seedlings in large canopy gaps 50 × 50 m were taller (mean difference; P = 0.006) and more likely to survive (mean difference; P