Rotin

In several places, the over-harvesting of this rattan species for weaving and production of household furniture leads to local sub-population decline. Removal of all the stems of one individual and removal of the mature stems before the plant reproduces is likely leading to local scarcity and may affect the regeneration of sub-populations. For example, in Equatorial Guinea, L. robustum was reported as becoming scarce in the forest areas around Bata, although as the species responds well to selective logging activities in the large areas under timber concession in the Rio Muni the species could not be considered to be highly exposed to depletion risk (Sunderland and Obama 1999). In Cameroon, in the Yaoundé Region, the exploitation of rattans including L. robustum appears to be unsustainable. The high demand for cane in urban markets is leading to high pressure on sub-populations. Defo (2004) reported that the rate of stem harvesting per cluster is high, ranging from 40 to 100% and the harvest of stems before fruiting limits their regeneration. However, although this species is known to be locally over-exploited, it remains common across its entire distribution range.