A review of dipterocarps - Center for International Forestry Research
A review of dipterocarps - Center for International Forestry Research
A review of dipterocarps - Center for International Forestry Research
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Plantations 170<br />
mono-layered. The regeneration period will be rather<br />
short and the resulting stand after final felling will be<br />
fairly regular. Species which fruit more irregularly might<br />
require more irregular canopy openings following the<br />
recruitment patches and a group shelterwood system<br />
applied. The regeneration period will be protracted and<br />
the resulting stand more irregular.<br />
Re<strong>for</strong>estation and Af<strong>for</strong>estation <strong>of</strong><br />
Degraded Land<br />
Re<strong>for</strong>estation is the re-establishment <strong>of</strong> a <strong>for</strong>est crop<br />
on <strong>for</strong>est land. Af<strong>for</strong>estation is the establishment <strong>of</strong> a<br />
crop on an area from which it has always or very long<br />
been absent. Degradation in the pedological sense is ‘any<br />
significant reduction in the fertility <strong>of</strong> the soil, whether<br />
in the course <strong>of</strong> its natural development or by direct or<br />
indirect human action’ (Ford-Robertson 1983).<br />
There is a growing need <strong>for</strong> rehabilitation <strong>of</strong><br />
degraded <strong>for</strong>est sites following destructive logging, land<br />
clearing or mining. Dipterocarp species are by nature<br />
not very well suited <strong>for</strong> rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> severely<br />
degraded <strong>for</strong>est land. However, in some instances,<br />
dipterocarp species have been used with success (Ang<br />
and Muda 1989, Ang et al. 1992, Nussbaum et al. 1993,<br />
Nussbaum et al. 1995, Nussbaum and Ang 1996). Lately,<br />
Nussbaum and Ang (1996) have carried out a <strong>review</strong> on<br />
the rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> degraded land. Bieberstein et al.<br />
(1985) and Thai (1991) recommended Dipterocarpus<br />
spp. <strong>for</strong> the re<strong>for</strong>estation <strong>of</strong> devastated and shrub areas<br />
in Vietnam. Mitra (1967) describes the management<br />
measures carried out over large areas in West Bengal<br />
since the acquisition <strong>of</strong> all private <strong>for</strong>est lands (which<br />
were mainly Shorea robusta coppice <strong>for</strong>ests) by the<br />
State in 1953. Shorea robusta was planted in eroded<br />
areas (Goswami 1957) and <strong>for</strong>mer bauxite mining land<br />
in India (Prasad 1988), Hopea parviflora on bare lateritic<br />
soil (Dhareshwar 1946) and Dryobalanops<br />
oblongifolia on waste land (Landon 1941). An initial<br />
burn and cultivation <strong>of</strong> planting patches were found to<br />
be beneficial. Shineng (1994) reports using <strong>dipterocarps</strong>,<br />
Dipterocarpus turbinatus and Parashorea chinensis,<br />
<strong>for</strong> establishing plantations on degraded <strong>for</strong>est land in<br />
tropical China but the growth rates <strong>of</strong> both <strong>dipterocarps</strong><br />
were almost the lowest among 26 tree species tested.<br />
Mitchell (1963) explored the possibilities <strong>of</strong> af<strong>for</strong>esting<br />
raised sea beaches along the east coast <strong>of</strong> Peninsular<br />
Malaysia. Among the species tested was Hopea nutans<br />
which failed (Ang and Muda 1989). Rai (1990) describes<br />
a successful trial to restore degraded tropical rain <strong>for</strong>ests<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Western Ghats (India) in which Vateria indica,<br />
Dipterocarpus indicus, Hopea parviflora and H.<br />
wightiana were used.<br />
Agr<strong>of</strong>orestry<br />
Not many dipterocarp species have as yet been included<br />
in agr<strong>of</strong>orestry systems. Shorea robusta is the only<br />
species which has been researched intensively in the<br />
context <strong>of</strong> the taungya system. Taungya is an ‘agrisilviculture<br />
system <strong>for</strong> the raising <strong>of</strong> a <strong>for</strong>est crop (a<br />
taungya plantation) in conjunction with a temporary<br />
agricultural crop’ (Ford-Robertson 1983).<br />
Nevertheless, agr<strong>of</strong>orestry systems involving<br />
<strong>dipterocarps</strong> have been practised throughout the Indian-<br />
Southeast Asian region. Vateria indica and Shorea<br />
robusta have been used in agr<strong>of</strong>orestry systems in India.<br />
Sal (Shorea robusta) taungya is a relatively well<br />
developed system in India (Huq 1945, Osmaston 1945,<br />
Kanjilai 1945, and others). Prominent in agr<strong>of</strong>orestry<br />
systems in Borneo are the dipterorcarp species that<br />
produce edible nuts (Shorea spp. <strong>of</strong> the pinanga group)<br />
(Seibert 1989). An agr<strong>of</strong>orestry system in East<br />
Kalimantan which <strong>of</strong>ten involves Shorea macrophylla<br />
is called the ‘lembo’ system (Sardjono 1990). Resin<br />
tapping <strong>of</strong> Shorea javanica is well developed in Sumatra<br />
(Torquebiau 1984). Integration <strong>of</strong> farming into the<br />
tending and conservation <strong>of</strong> logged <strong>for</strong>ests was discussed<br />
(Serrano 1987, Mauricio 1987b), as well as the propects<br />
<strong>for</strong> agr<strong>of</strong>orestry to be used <strong>for</strong> the rehabilitation <strong>of</strong><br />
degraded <strong>for</strong>est land in Indonesia (Kartiwinata and<br />
Satjapradja 1983). Watanabe et al. (1988) investigated a<br />
taungya re<strong>for</strong>estation method in the context <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Government Forest Village Programme in Thailand,<br />
where Dipterocarpus alatus is involved. An agr<strong>of</strong>orestry<br />
system using <strong>dipterocarps</strong> was also tried in West<br />
Malaysia (Cheah 1971, Ramli and Ong 1972) but it has<br />
not been adopted. These are but a few examples <strong>of</strong><br />
dipterocarp species used in agr<strong>of</strong>orestry systems.<br />
Forest Protection Aspects<br />
The knowledge on pests and diseases <strong>of</strong> <strong>dipterocarps</strong> is<br />
scanty, but a more systematic account is given in<br />
Chapter 7. Insects attack dipterocarp fruit crops heavily<br />
(Daljeet-Singh 1974). By comparison, their seedlings<br />
are well protected (Daljeet-Singh 1975). Becker (1981)<br />
investigated potential physical and chemical defences <strong>of</strong><br />
Shorea seedling leaves against insects. Diseases include