Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, H: Environment & Earth Science, Volume 23 Issue 2

Species Family Commercial/Local name Tw number DBH (cm) Specific wood density (g.cm 3 ) Dispersa l mode Regenerati on guild Phenology Afzelia bipendensis Fabaceae Doussié/ M’banga Tw65080, Tw69081 85 0.73 ± 0.05 Animal NPLD Dec. Cylicodiscus gabunensis Fabaceae Okan/Adoum Tw65078, Tw69079 65 0.79 ± 0.07 Wind NPLD Brevi. Entandrophrag ma cylindricum Meliaceae Sapele/Assié Tw65076, Tw69077 115 0.57 ± 0.04 Wind NPLD Dec. Entandrophrag ma utile Meliaceae Sipo/Asseng-Assié Tw65086 84 0.54 ± 0.04 Wind NPLD Dec. Erythropleum suaveolens Fabaceae Tali/Elon Tw65082, Tw65083 52 0.77 ± 0.06 Unassiste d P Dec. Mansonia altissima Malvaceae Bété/Koul Tw65084, Tw69085 64 0.56 ± 0.03 Wind NPLD Dec. Milicia excelsa Moraceae Iroko/Abang Tw65067, Tw67068, Tw67069 102 0.58 ± 0.06 Animal P Dec. Pterocarpus soyauxii Fabaceae Padouk/Mbel Tw65073,Tw65 074, Tw65075 62 0.66 ± 0.07 Wind NPLD Brevi. Triplochiton scleroxylon Malvaceae Ayous/Ayus Tw65070, Tw69071, Tw69072 92.1 0.33 ± 0.03 Wind P Dec. d) Assignment of radial position On the longest radius section of the fixed fragment of the stem disc (i.e., bark to pith), a piece of 1 cm wide wood was extracted from each stem disc using different hand saws (basic, flat, Japanese, splitter, hack, coping, and square) and two clamps (fixed and mobile) (Fig. 2.a, b, c). This piece of 1 cm was immobilized in a fixed clamp and cut using the same saws into ten (10) small pieces of roughly the same size, reporting the Tw number of the stem disc followed by the numbers 1 (at the bark piece) to 10 (at the pith piece) from the bark-to- the-pith for the ten small pieces (Fig. 2.d). Finally, using chisels and a wooden mallet, these small pieces were finely carved on the sides to have uniform pieces (Fig. 2.d.). a b c d © 2023 Global Journals 1 Year 2023 68 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXIII Issue ersion I VII ( H ) Wood Density Variations of Tropical Trees Differing in Shade-Tolerance and Leaf Phenology of the Congo Basin Table 1: List of the 9 Studied Species with Their Botanical Family, Commercial Name, and Local Name, Tervuren Wood Identification Number (Tw); Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of the Sampled Tree; Wood Density at the Species Level (Zanne et al. 2009), Dispersal Mode (Meunier et al. 2015), for the Regeneration Guild, P: Pioneer, NPLD: Non-Pioneer Light Demander, and SB: Shade Bearer, and for the Leaf Phenology, Dec.: Deciduous, Brevi.: Brevideciduous, and ev.: Evergreen (Bénédet et al. 2019) Fig. 2: Preparation of Wood Fragments for Density Testing, a. Various Saws and a Fixed Clamp, b. Removal using a Saw of a 1 cm Fragment Lamella on the Longest Section Held Fixed on a Mobile Clamp, C. Removal Using a Saw of a 1 cm Fragment Lamella on the Longest Section of a Fragment of Stem Disc Held Fixed on an Immobile Clamp, and d. 1 cm Fragment Slice Taken, Subdivided, and Numbered from 1 to 10 in Direction (Bark-to-Pith)