After nearly a decade of community-driven conservation work in Cameroon, Taylor Guitars, the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, is pleased to share groundbreaking peer-reviewed research published in Science Advances that reveals the critical dependence of African ebony trees on African forest elephants for reproduction and survival. The unexpected scientific discovery emerged from The Ebony Project, a conservation initiative started by Taylor co-founder Bob Taylor and operated through the Congo Basin Institute — a partnership between the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and UCLA.
The research demonstrates that African ebony trees (Diospyros crassiflora Hiern), the source material for fingerboards on nearly every Taylor guitar ever produced, depend heavily on African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) for seed dispersal and species survival. With elephant populations having declined to just one-third of ebony’s likely historical range, the findings carry urgent implications for both conservation and the long-term future of musical instrument manufacturing.
FROM GUITAR WORKSHOP TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY
The story began in 2016 when Bob Taylor met Dr. Tom Smith, a UCLA conservation biologist, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Taylor Guitars had recently co-purchased a deteriorating ebony mill in Cameroon and was dedicating over 100 days annually to its restoration. That single meeting, arranged by the U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon, who knew both men, led Bob Taylor to fund The Ebony Project.
“When I met Tom Smith eight years ago, I never imagined that Taylor Guitars’ commitment to responsible ebony sourcing would lead to discoveries about elephant poop,” said Bob Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Guitars. “But that’s exactly what happened, and the implications are profound for both conservation and the future of guitar making.”
CONSERVATION RESULTS EXCEED ALL EXPECTATIONS
Under the scientific leadership of Dr. Vincent Deblauwe and an expanding team of Cameroonian scientists, The Ebony Project has achieved remarkable conservation success:
- Over 40,000 ebony trees planted (far surpassing the original 15,000 tree goal)
- 20,000 fruit trees planted to support local food security
- Additional funding secured from The Global Environmental Facility and the Franklinia Foundation
- International recognition from National Geographic, Forbes, Reuters, and the BBC
- Dr. Zac Tchoundjeu, a Cameroonian agroforestry expert and colleague of Dr. Smith’s, suggested the dual approach of planting both ebony and locally prized fruit trees to address crucial food security issues in project communities.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE MUSIC
The research published in Science Advances reaffirms that African forest elephants function as “gardeners of the rainforest,” creating an intricate ecological relationship with ebony trees that Western science is only now beginning to understand. Dr. Deblauwe’s findings demonstrate:
- The majority of ebony trees thriving today likely owe their existence to elephants that dispersed their seeds decades ago
- In areas where ivory poaching has decimated elephant populations, no other species can fulfill the critical seed dispersal role
- Ebony seeds protected within elephant dung have dramatically better survival rates against rodent predation
- The absence of elephants directly correlates with fewer young ebony trees
“When we did forest inventories to identify where ebony seedlings, saplings and trees grew, we weren’t expecting to see large geographic differences,” Deblauwe said. “But there was an obvious line between protected regions and hunted regions, with practically no young saplings in the parts of the forest without elephants. The few saplings we found there were clustered below the parent trees, as if no animals ever came to eat the fruits and disperse the seeds.”
CONSERVATION URGENCY FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The findings carry critical implications for the music industry. Ebony fingerboards are prized for their density, durability and smooth finish. With African forest elephant populations having declined to just one-third of ebony’s historically understood range, the research underscores an urgent conservation need.
Where The Ebony Project is currently planting trees, just outside the Dja Faunal Reserve, elephants have not been seen in decades. In the future, the project hopes to extend its plantings further into regions that might connect current elephant populations.
“Almost every guitar ever produced includes an ebony fingerboard,” noted Taylor. “If guitar players want ebony fingerboards in the future, they need to support elephant conservation in the Congo Basin today.”
BEYOND ANIMAL WELFARE: ECOSYSTEM PRESERVATION
This research underscores a fundamental ecological truth: musical instruments are connected to much wider environmental systems. Protecting elephants extends far beyond animal welfare—it’s essential for maintaining healthy forest ecosystems and ensuring the sustainable future of materials that have defined guitar craftsmanship for generations.
The Ebony Project serves as a model for how musical instrument manufacturers can address supply chain sustainability through community-driven conservation initiatives that deliver measurable environmental and social benefits.
