UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Assessing the impact of China's timber industry on Congo Basin land use change

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1111/area.12469

Authors

Trevon Louis Fuller · Thomas P. Narins · Janet Ruth Nackoney · Timothy C. Bonebrake · Paul R. Sesink Clee · Katy Morgan · Anthony Tróchez · Demetrio Bocuma Meñe · Eddy Bongwele · Kevin Yana Njabo · Nicola Mary Anthony · Mary Katherine Gonder · Matthew E. Kahn · Walter Recharde Allen · Thomas B. Smith

Reported year

2018

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:17:04.147314+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:17:04.147314+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Drexel University · LSU New Orleans · Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale · State University of New York · University at Albany, State University of New York · University of California, Los Angeles · University of Hong Kong · University of Maryland, College Park · University of Southern California

Documentary abstract — original language

Through the rise of global commodity chains, consumer demand in China and the USA has given rise to the extraction of natural resources in the Congo Basin. The Chinese market for high‐valued animal products such as elephant ivory and pangolin scales has encouraged poaching, exploitation and trafficking of these goods in Africa. Chinese demand for other African commodities, however, remains less well known. Using data across a 15‐year period (2001–2015), we analysed the relationship between Chinese timber imports and tree‐cover loss in the Congo Basin. Tree‐cover loss was measured via remote sensing and the value of imports was obtained from official trade statistics. Results indicate that the total accumulated export of wood from Congo Basin countries to China doubled between 2001 and 2015, with 50% of exports originating from Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. We found a positive relationship between measures of Chinese logging and the loss of tree cover in the Congo Basin. Further investigation of the timber products market showed that US demand for Chinese‐made furniture was positively correlated with Chinese timber imports from the Congo Basin. These findings suggest that US demand for furniture encourages Chinese economic actors to harvest timber from Congo Basin forests. Our results help to illuminate the complex environmental and economic drivers surrounding trade and deforestation and can help inform consumers about more sustainable ways to purchase wood products from one of the world's preeminent biodiversity hotspots.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W2811029933

DOI

10.1111/area.12469

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Jurisdictions studied — explicit sources

CN

Natural entities mentioned

Forest

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12469
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W2811029933

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w1511467693 · CITES
• openalex:w1530039003 · CITES
• openalex:w1591425318 · CITES
• openalex:w15996232 · CITES
• openalex:w1945410818 · CITES
• openalex:w1950629566 · CITES
• openalex:w1967879531 · CITES
• openalex:w1969834758 · CITES
• openalex:w1975332826 · CITES
• openalex:w1976037837 · CITES
• openalex:w1981213426 · CITES
• openalex:w1993498846 · CITES
• openalex:w2007895395 · CITES
• openalex:w2025741962 · CITES
• openalex:w2026225926 · CITES
• openalex:w2038369653 · CITES
• openalex:w2045987553 · CITES
• openalex:w2046329180 · CITES
• openalex:w2047049785 · CITES
• openalex:w2052656089 · CITES

1 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.