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

same time promoting a better distribution of tree species across all cuttingareas. This will be on top of the tree-marking goal estimated for the area.This concept of sustainable forest management plans that also integratebiodiversity and genetic resource conservation measures with timber productionis similar to that being developed for the Berau Forest Management Project inEast Kalimantan (Tyrie & Natadiwirya 2000). The Kalimantan SFM plan allowsforestry practices to continue while at the same time maintaining environmentalquality.Summary and ConclusionsThe genetic resource conservation strategies for timber trees in the Philippinesinclude both ex situ and in situ methods. The timber production forests currentlytotal less than 2 million ha, including about 600,000 ha of forest plantations andtree farms. Some private companies are involved in limited tree improvementprograms for plantation species. Although tree plantations and natural foreststands have been identified by the government as seed production areas toserve as primary sources of quality seeds for tree plantations, these remainlargely undeveloped and undocumented.Despite the Philippines’ rapid decline of its forest habitats, in situconservation through the protected areas system remains its best hope forconserving genetic resources of timber trees. The protected areas, however,are still limited in their scope, often excluding lowland dipterocarp forests thatharbor the majority of the commercial timber trees. Sustainable forestmanagement systems involving integrated and careful planning of timberharvesting operations that incorporate genetic resource conservation measuresoffer a promising strategy.The extent of the genetic diversity within and between populations ofthe commercial timber species in the plantations, and much less, in the naturalforests, remains largely unknown. Although there is a high diversity of speciesand habitats in the Philippines, the financial resources for genetic conservationremain limited.ReferencesAnonymous. 1992. PTFI: a pioneer in industrial tree plantation. Philippine Lumberman 38(1):16-18.Aplet, G.H., Johnson, N., Olson, J.T. & Sample, A.V. (eds.). 1993. Defining Sustainable Forestry.Island Press, Washington DC.Arnold, R., Gonzales, A. & Abarquez, A. 1998. Domestication of exotic Acacia species inBukidnon Province, Philippines. In: Proceedings of an International Workshop, Hanoi, Vietnam,23-30 October 1997. ACIAR Proceedings No, 82, 383 p.Ashton, P.S. 1982. Dipterocarpaceae. Flora Malesiana Ser. I, 9: 237-552.81