Abstract Prunus africana [Hook.f.] Kalkm. has been declining over much of its geographical range during the last 40 years because of unsustainable harvesting of its bark for the international medicinal trade. In Bioko Island, bark harvesting from natural stands began in 1994, but no sylvicultural management practices have been applied. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of bark harvesting in the Bioko Afromontane forest in terms of structure, tree composition and mortality as a first step to establishing sylvicultural practices. Forty one plots were recorded on two different locations, Pico Basilé and Moka. Altitudinal distribution of P. africana in Bioko ranged from 1400 to 2500 m above sea level with a mean density of 7.18 stem ha−1. The species Schefflera mannii and P. africana were described in the upper canopy stratum with a J-shaped diameter distribution curve. The percentage of dead trees (>30 cm DBH) was more than 10% for heavily harvested populations compared with lightly harvested areas, which presented no severe mortality. This reflects the high intensity of bark harvesting, mainly directed at large trees. Site-specific sylvicultural practices, designed considering forest structure characteristics and P. africana size-class distribution, must be applied to national forest policies in Bioko.