In situ and Ex situ Conservation of Commercial Tropical Trees - ITTO

Commercial Plantation Strategy to Reduce Pressureon Tropical Forest Resources387B. KRISHNAPILLAY AND M.A.A RAZAKForest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong 52109Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiabaskaran@frim.gov.myAbstract. Over the last decade, clear trends in the management of forest resources in SoutheastAsia have emerged. Some countries have ceased timber production from natural forests and arenow net importers. Others are perceiving incipient declines in production. While these trendshave serious economic implications for many countries in the region, concern about the rapiddegradation and loss of some of the world’s greatest species-diverse forests has turned into aninternational issue. A number of international initiatives were instituted to improve managementof these ecosystems and to ensure they are not totally degraded. Forest management has ceasedto be mere pursuit of yield increments. It now must address an array of issues collectivelydescribed under the principles of sustainable forest management. These encompass socio-economicconsiderations, environmental issues, and biodiversity conservation matters. Currently, thereare approaches to enforce such measures by introducing the concept of certified “green” timberas the only such material allowed to be traded in the international markets. There are calls to haveindependent assessment of the forest management as well.With global awareness that remaining natural forests in the tropics must be conserved andmanaged with great care as a source of wood and for the many other known benefits, there isincreasing recognition that greater development of plantation and agro-forests are essential foreconomic, environmental and aesthetic benefits to the community. Indeed, the rapidly expandingdemand for wood to provide for the downstream wood-based industries throughout the worldcannot be met without substantial development of plantation forestry. As a consequence, theprivate sector is beginning to participate in an industry that was once the domain of the publicsector. This paper explores those aspects relating to the management of plantation forests. Italso focuses on the potentials and constraints relating to the establishment of commercial forestplantations to make up for the expected future shortage of logs from natural forests, while at thesame time relieving logging pressures on natural forests.IntroductionA cursory glance at the timber trade worldwide would reveal some importantclues. The area of closed forest in North America and Europe does not comeclose to that found in the Third World Countries of Africa, South America andAsia, yet the former have higher sector production and exports (Table 1) (FAO1999). This could mean that the wealth of forests in the third world countries,which are mainly in the tropics, has not been truly realized as is the case withdeveloped nations.