at development of the regional natural resources and conservation of part
of the forest as a reserve.
The reserve, which came to be known as the 'Parc national de Tai" was
adopted in 1978 as one of UNESCO's 'Man and Biosphere'-Programme
areas. At that moment there was growing concern that the original rainforest
ecosystem would vanish before its richness had been truly
appreciated, because of intensive logging operations and especially because
of the growing number of immigrants attracted by the opportunity to grow
cash crops such as cacao and coffee.
This concern was translated into a scientific research programme with the
aim to make an inventory of forest resources and to contribute to the
establishment of an overall land-use management strategy. The programme
was led by ORSTOM in co-operation with the Ivorian Institute of Tropical
Ecology under the supervision of the Ivorian Ministry of Scientific
Research.