Forest management

There are two zones of "classified forest" located along the Simandou range, which have been seriously degraded by slash and burn agriculture and hunting practices, which are common in the region. The reserves were created in the 1950s by the French colonial administration for commercial timber preservation. Small areas of the forest remain, where diverse populations of fauna and flora still flank the range.

Conservation International worked closely with local Guinean ecological NGO, Centre Forestier de N'Zérékoré, to conduct forest assessment programmes - as part of our Simandou forest management scheme. The scheme is financed by Rio Tinto Exploration in concert with Centre Forestier de N'Zérékoré.

Pic de Fon: a rare refuge for unique species

Conservation International reports that the Upper Guinea forest ecosystem, which includes portions of Guinea, once covered an estimated 420,000 square kilometres. Centuries of human activity have resulted in the loss of nearly 70 per cent of the original forest cover. The remaining Upper Guinea forest is restricted to a number of isolated patches that are refuges for the region's unique species, including the chimpanzee and pygmy hippopotamus. One of these isolated patches is the Pic de Fon classified forest.