Indigenous cultural practices play a significant role in the conservation of forests. Most of the forests within traditional communities in the Ashanti region of Ghana were preserved centuries ago through traditional beliefs and practices. Yet, less attention has been given to them in modern forest management. In most communities, these traditional practices are gradually "dying out." This work identified cultural practices that have been used to successfully conserve forests by four communities purposively selected from the Ashanti region of Ghana (i.e., Semanhyiakrom, Akegyesu, Kubease, and Jachie), their benefits, and the perceived reasons for their neglect in the management of public forests. Qualitative data were collected through semistructured interviews using stratified random sampling technique to select respondents. The study found that beliefs, taboos, myths, proverbs, and songs were vital traditional systems used by the Ashantis to effectively conserve their forests. The Ashantis believe that the neglect of cultural practices in the management of public forests has resulted in increasing rate of deforestation, destruction of water bodies, and disasters inflicted by the gods such as prolonged drought and loss of soil fertility. To avoid forest degradation, it is important for forest managers, decision makers, and governments to recognize various cultural practices and traditional beliefs as very useful tools and integrate them into current national and international forestry plans and programs.

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The paper describes the testing for termite resistance of a lesser-utilised tropical species known as kruma (Klainedoxa gabonensis) in order to evaluate its potential for the building, construction and related wood-consuming industries. Results suggest that kruma heartwood can be rated as very durable and the sapwood as durable. It is concluded that utilisation of this wood species could reduce over dependence on traditional primary species.

Construction material rising cost and global demand for economically-sustainable and environmentally-friendly building resources have necessitated the use of sawdust-cement composite. Wood constituents and cement incompatibility hinder its production and need careful selection of the timber. Sawdust suitability from Triplochiton scleroxylon, Entandrophragma cylindricum and Klainedoxa gabonensis for wood-cement composite was determined by identifying their chemical constituents and their composites' physicomechanical properties. T. scleroxylon recorded the minimum total extractive (6.12%), lignin (29.89%) and holocellulose (56.38%) and K. gabonensis the maximum (9.31, 31.59 and 57.5% respectively). Ash content was higher for T. scleroxylon (7.6%) but lower for K. gabonensis (1.53%). T. scleroxylon boards were stronger [Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) = 696.1 N/m²] and more moisture-resistant [Moisture Absorption (MA) = 8.8%] than E. cylindricum (MOE = 625.9 N/m²; MA = 9.5%). K. gabonensis boards crushed after manufacturing due to its incompatibility with cement. T. scleroxylon sawdust is suitable for wood-cement composites due to its more compatible chemical constituents (i.e., lower extractive, lignin, holocellulose contents and more ash) and its boards' excellent physico-mechanical properties than those for the other timbers. Its sawdust-cement composites could be utilized for indoor applications (e.g. ceiling and walling). The use of sawdust would increase green building resource base and reduce environmental pollution.

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