In the dense forests of the Congo Basin, where individual trees have lived for more than a century, familiar timber species are gradually becoming scarce: demand is growing faster than the forest can replenish its stocks. A new study conducted in Kisangani, one of the largest timber markets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, offers an unexpected way out. According to the authors, the solution may lie not in expanding logging, but in taking a close look at the species that so far remain in the shadows.
The team was led by Mbusa Wasukundi of the University of Liège (working as part of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech). The researchers visited 21 sawmill and 38 woodworking workshops in Kisangani. The numbers add up as follows: 11 mills and 28 workshops were surveyed separately, while another 10 sites where a mill and a workshop are located in the same place were counted in both categories. In total, the scientists studied 27 timber species entering the local market. Nine of them are in wide demand. The remaining 18, including 14 little-known ones, have suitable technical properties but hardly ever reach the market.
The situation of the nine popular species looks alarming. Many of them have a timber stock of less than one cubic metre per hectare, or a trunk that grows more slowly than half a centimetre per year, or weak natural regeneration. Such traits raise concerns: under prolonged exploitation, these trees risk being depleted. Against this background, some of the little-known species look markedly more resilient: in terms of wood density, growth rates and capacity to recover.
The strength of the work lies in combining three approaches. The researchers measured the physical and mechanical properties of the wood, listened to craftsmen about the hardness and durability of the material, and processed forest inventory data: tree density, volumes, growth rates and sapling increment. The result proved telling: the craftsmen's perceptions largely matched the laboratory measurements. The practical experience of people who work with wood every day turned out to be a reliable guide.
Such a "from forest to market" approach makes it possible to assess not only which species exist, but also how likely they are to actually be bought and whether they can withstand moderate harvesting. This is a useful guide for companies and authorities that want to diversify supplies without undermining the ecosystem. Another context matters too. In a separate study from 2025, 115 wood samples from Kisangani markets were tested by two methods, and 26 of them turned out to be mislabelled. This means that accurate species identification on the market, and not only the choice of new species, remains a task in its own right.
The topic of little-known species is already moving beyond a single laboratory: the website of ATIBT, the international tropical timber association, has published materials on little-known species with the participation of the University of Liège. The team continues its work. The abstracts of the second international conference of 2026 are devoted to the growth and timber yield potential of three undervalued species from the DRC. The approach itself may also prove useful in other parts of the Congo Basin, where pressure on familiar species is growing.
The forests of the Congo can continue to provide timber and preserve their wealth, but only if we do not rely on familiar names alone. Species that are still awaiting recognition are also promising, on one condition: their stocks and dynamics must be assessed carefully before they are brought into use.
