Panels & Furniture Asia January/February 2021

ENVIRONMENT REPORT
appointed to conduct an investigation on
PNG’s forest resources, develop a master
plan for the development and utilisation of
forest resources and agriculture, as well as a
feasibility study report on logging and wood
processing.
Using both remote sensing interpretation
and regionalisation, as well as on-site
field investigations, data on tree species
composition, distribution, commercial use,
growing stock volume, and logging and
utilisation license status of forest land within
the project area was collected.
Forest type
Total area
Area %
Total forest stock
volume
Stock
volume
%
Stock
volume
per hectare
Total 25.96 100 5839 100 236.5
Low-altitude forest on plains and fans 6.73 25.94 2028 34.91 301.2
Low-altitude forest on uplands 10.72 41.30 2868 49.37 267.5
Lower montane forest 2.38 9.16 496 8.09 208.8
Woodlands 1.88 7.23 162 2.98 86.3
Swamp forest 2.98 11.47 285 4.65 95.7
Others 1.27 4.90 – – –
Unit: 10,000 ha, 10,000 m 3 , m 3 /ha
Table 1. Area and forest stock volume of each land type within the project site
(Source: The Academy of Forestry Inventory and Planning, State Forestry Administration, November 2016)
Project and investigation area
Situated in West Sepik Province – the
northwesternmost province of PNG – the
project area is a seven-hour journey by both
car and boat from the province’s capital,
Vanimo. Upon arrival, getting around via land
is difficult due to the numerous swamps and
rivers, and lack of developed roads. To the
north and west of the project area lies the
Sepik River basin, where water transport is
relatively advanced and is the main method of
getting around.
Villagers in the mountains still live primitively
in tribes, and industrial and agricultural
production is scarce. Locals rely on spices,
wood and aquatic products as main sources
of income, but most still live below the
international poverty line.
The investigation area (3.88°S – 4.61°S,
141.00°E – 141.79°E) named District 1 spanned
259,556 ha within the project area.
Investigation method
Using the latest medium- and high-resolution
remote sensing images, elevation data and
forest resource distribution maps obtained
from the PNG Forestry Authority, land area
in the investigation area was classified into a
vector database according to vegetation, terrain
and river distribution. Using object-oriented
classification software, the images obtained
via remote sensing were interpreted by colour,
texture, land covering and terrain type.
A stratified sampling technique was then
created and sample strips were identified,
and research teams ventured into the forest
to record important information such as tree
species, diameter at breast height (DBH),
tree height and timber production rate to
determine the canopy density and average
tree height.
Results
Using the data collected, researchers were able
to determine the estimated stock volume for
each forest area and type (Table 1).
Researchers found 139 tree species within
the project site, nine of which collectively
accounted for 38.86% of the total stock
volume. Kwila (intsia bijuga) had the highest
stock volume of 11.97%, followed by Taun
(pometia pinnata) with 9.63% and Terminalia
(terminalia chebula) with 3.05%. The total
stock volume of trees with a DBH of over 50 cm
was 25.96 million m 3 , or 44.46% of the total.
Bearing in mind buffer zones set up by the
PNG government to protect soil and water
erosion from logging near rivers, the research
team found that the total forest area ready
to be harvested within the project site was
200,900 ha (77.42%), with a total stock volume
of 46.8121 million m 3 (80.17%). A majority
(85,200 ha or 42.42%) of harvestable trees
were located in the low-altitude forest on
uplands.
IN A NUTSHELL
Although the investigation area covered was
just the tip of the iceberg compared to the
entire PNG, these findings have provided an
indication on the prospects of timber supply
within the country, and how countries can
share information, resources and technology
for mutual benefit and education. P
Author’s note:
Information on the research efforts commissioned by Shenzhen VivaFounder was extracted from the Forest Resources Investigation Report for the
China-PNG Comprehensive Agricultural and Forestry Development and Construction Project, published by the Academy of Forestry Inventory and
Planning of China’s State Forestry Administration in November 2016.
References
1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) 2020. Global Forest Resources
Assessment 2020: Main report, Rome, .
2. The World Bank 2020, Papua New Guinea, Gross
Domestic Product.
3. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
(OPHI) 2020, Global MPI Country Briefing 2020: Papua
New Guinea (East Asia and the Pacific).
4. United Nations Development Programme 2020, Briefing
note for countries on the 2020 Human Development
Report: Papua New Guinea.
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of
China 2016, Joint Press Release Between the People’s
Republic of China and The Independent State of Papua
New Guinea.
6. China Statistical Yearbook 2019, Forest Resources by
Region, National Bureau of Statistics of China.
7. Shenzhen VivaFounder Investment Holdings Limited,
Company Profile, < http://www.vivafounder.com/about.
html>.
28 Panels & Furniture Asia | January / February 2021