John Fonweban, Dip. Ingenieur For., MSc, PhD

 

Timber Properties Modeller, Forest Management Division

Email: john.fonweban@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Tel: +44 (0)131 445 2176
Tel direct: +44 (0)131 445 6933
Fax: +44 (0)131 445 5124

Address:
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian EH25 9SY
UK

Dr John Fonweban has an Ingenieur Degree in forestry from the University of Dschang, Cameroon, an MSc in Forest Biometrics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, USA and a PhD in Forest Growth and Yield Modelling at Ecole Nationale du Genie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts (ENGREF), Nancy, France.

From 1989 to 2001, he was Senior Lecturer of Forest Inventory, Mensuration, Applied Statistics, Remote Sensing and GIS at the University of Dschang before working for 4 years as Research Coordinator at Limbe Botanic Garden’s Biodiversity Centre, Cameroon, where he was concerned with project proposal writing and bidding for contracts in forest inventory and biodiversity surveys. From March 2005 John was teaching Introductory GIS (ArcView & ArcGIS 9), Woodland Ecology and Management, and Biodiversity Management at the Scottish School of Forestry, Inverness College, UHI. He has a long experience in the supervision of forestry student dissertations, as well as in research and consultancy in tropical forest inventory and statistical analysis.

His research interest and activities has been in the development of volume and taper functions, top height and site index equations, whole stand and diameter distribution models stand table projection models and transitional matrix models.

He joined Forerst Research on January 2008.

Current role

Timber Properties Modeller, Forest Management Division

Continuing with the Timber Properties Modelling programme started for Sitka spruce, and extending this to other major conifers in Britain, as well as working with the Forerst Research Biometrics team, the University of Napier and BRE to link Forerst Research growth and yield models and the timber performance models with the timber quality models he will be developing. The integration of modelling approaches will provide more flexible decision support tools for the timber industry, forest management planning and will improve upon the production forecasting system, by incorporating timber quality aspects.

Current programmes

Silviculture and timber properties
Modelling tree and timber properties of British grown conifers.

Research areas

• Timber properties modelling
• Forest growth and yield modelling
• Construction of volume equations and taper functions
• Forest mensuration
• Forest resource sampling and assessment
• Remote sensing and GIS applications in forest resource management

Main recent publications

Bele, M.Y., Nkeng, P., Fonweban, J.N. & Ndam, N. (2006).  An inventory of Allanblankia floribunda in the Sanaga Maritime, Littoral province, Cameroun. In SA. Ghazanfar & H.J Beentje (eds) Taxonomy and Ecology of African Plants, Their Conservation and Sustainable use, pp 493-503. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Fonweban, J.N. (2005a). Data Analysis for the National Forest Inventory in Cameroon. Consultancy Report for FAO.

Fonweban, J.N. (2005b). Manual for Forest Inventory Design, Data Processing and Analysis. Consultancy Document for FAO.

Sunderland, T.C.H, Comiskey, J.A., Besong, S., Mboh H., Fonweban J.N. & Dione, M.A.. (2003). Vegetation Assessment of Takamanda Forest Reserve, Cameroon. Chap.3. in Takamanda: the Biodiversity of an African Rainforest(J.A. Comiskey, TCH Sunderland & JL Sunderland-Groves, eds.). Smithsonian Institute/Man & Biosphere (SI/MAB) Series no. 8: pp 19-53.

Fonweban, J.N. (2004a). Field Manual for Volume Estimation on Standing Trees (using Bitterlich Relascope) during Forest Inventories. Consultancy Document for FAO.

Fonweban, J.N. (2004b). Volume Equations for timber species in the semi-decidous forest and savannah zones in Cameroon. Consultancy Document for FAO.

Fonweban, J.N. (2002). An Operational Growth and Yield Model for the Management of Terminalia ivorensis (Framiré) and Lovoa trichiloides stands in Cameroon. Research Report for the International Foundation for Science (IFS grant N° n° D/2543-2). 48 pages

Fonweban, J.N. (2001a). National Prunus africana Inventory : Phase II-Adamaoua, Cameroon. Consultancy Report for Ministry of Environment & Forests (MINEF).MINEF/GTZ/DFID/MCP. 24 pages.

Fonweban, J.N. (2001b). Revised Methodology for the Sustainable Yield and Monitoring System (SYMS) for the Community Forestry Development Programme (CFDP), Ministry of Environment & Forests(MINEF), Cameroon.

Fonweban, J.N. (1999). An Evaluation of numerical integration of taper functions for volume estimation in Eucalyptus saligna stands. Journal of Tropical Forest Science (JTFS) 11(02): 410-419.

Fonweban, J.N. (1999). Coefficients of Commercialisation and Wood Losses for some Timber Species Harvested in Cameroon. Research Report for International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO): 48 p. (Also in Tropical Forestry Update 10(1) : 2000).

Fonweban, J.N., Mfou'ou, M.B.  and Eba'a, A.R.  (1998). Volume equations for some major timber species in South Cameroon. Science Agronomique et Développement 1(1) : 61-69.

Fonweban, J.N. (1998). Growth and Yield Models for Lovoa trichiloïdes and Terminalia ivorensis plantations in Cameroon. Research Report for the International Foundation for Science (IFS): 63 pages.

Fonweban, J.N. (1997b). A Stand Table Projection Model for some Timber Species in Cameroon based on Stem Analysis. Research Report for the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO):  61 pages.

Fonweban, J.N (1997a). Effect of log formula, log length and method of measurement on the accuracy of volume estimates for three tropical timber species in Cameroon. Commonwealth Forestry Review, 76(2): 114-120.

Fonweban, J.N. & Houllier, F. (1997a). Volume equations and taper functions for Eucalytus saligna in Cameroon.[Article in French] Annals of Forest Sciences, 54 (6) : 513 - 528.

Fonweban, J.N. & Houllier, F. (1997b). “Eucalyptus saligna in Cameroon: Stand volume equations and yield model. [Original Article in French. Revue Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, 253 (3) : 21-36].

Fonweban, J.N., Medjo & Bibani, M. (1997).  Performance of Gmelina arborea in a 12 year provenance trial in Cameroon. Indian Journal of Forestry 20( 4), 335–340.

Tshiamala-Tshibangu, N., Fonweban, J.H & Soh, J. (c.1966). A Comparative Study of Two Hypsometers (Blume-Leiss and Bitterlich Relascope) for Bole Height Estimation in the Tropical High Forest: Case of Deng-Deng Forest (Cameroon). Discovery & Innovation,8(4), pp.347-352.

Fonweban, J.N, & Houllier, F. (1995). Height growth model for Eucalyptus saligna in Cameroon based on temporary plot data [Article in French]. Annals of Forest Science.52, 263-281.

Fonweban, J.N., Mayaka Bileng T., Seukep, J.P. (1995b). Construction and validation of volume equations for Eucalyptus saligna. Commonwealth Forestry Review 74(4) : 355-360.

Fonweban, J.N., Tchanou, Z. & Defo, M. (1995a). Site Index Equations for Pinus kesiya in Cameroon. Journal of Tropical Forest Science 8(1) : 24-32.

Mayaka Bileng, T., Fonweban, J.N., Tchanou, Z. & Lonchui , P. (1995). An assessment of border effect on growth and timber quality of Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon K Schum)    under Cameroon rain forest conditions Annals of Forest Science.52 : 81-88.

Fonweban, J.N., Dondjang & Chapajong, T.N. (1994).  Growth and quality response of Bilinga (Nauclea diderrichii Merril.) to spacing. New Forests 8(4): 381-387.