Forest Management Plan - Sabah Forestry Department

commercial trees. Such operations generally involve the cutting of climbing bamboos andwoody vines, as well as, the removal of overtopping trees to release commercialregeneration growing beneath them. It is founded on the notion that the diametergrowth of young trees is influenced by crown illumination. The objectives of liberationare mainly to shorten the cutting cycle and to increase the production of volume onselected potential crop trees (PCTs). A PCT is a tree of commercial value which isselected from the residual stand based on form and vigour, and tended to form the nextcrop of harvestable trees. The main activities include:• the tending of regeneration (trees 1.5 m height - 5 cm dbh) established in gaps• the cutting of climbing bamboos and removing non-commercial competitors intheir immediate vicinity• the liberation of potential crop trees through removal of trees which directlycompete for lightFor the current planning period, about 30,000 ha are earmarked for tending treatments.Refinement and liberation treatments were carried for an area of about 15,438 ha fromthe period 2004-2008 (Table 6.1) at a cost of RM 350/ha. An additional 15,000 ha isplanned to be carried out from 2009-2014. Table 6.2 provides the treatment schedulefor the period 2009-2010.Table 6.1: Silvicultural tending (climber cutting & liberation thinning) for FMU 17Acarried out in the period 2004-2009Year Compartment #AreaTreated(ha)Contract Fee(RM)2004 12 143 50,0002005 12,13,14,15 2,000 700,0002006 1,2,3,16,32,33,49 4,000 1,400,000200732,33,49,50,60,51,48,52 (AWP 2007) 4,000 1,400,00052,36,46 (additional) 1,295 453,2502008 36,46,45,44,7,22,23,37 4,000 1,400,0002009 5,6,8,9,24,25,26,40 4,000 1,400,000TOTAL 15,438 6,803,25054