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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Foreword<br />
The <strong>Center</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Forestry</strong> <strong>Research</strong> (CIFOR)<br />
was established in 1993 at a time when there was a<br />
resurgence <strong>of</strong> interest in the sustainable management <strong>of</strong><br />
the world’s tropical rain <strong>for</strong>ests. At that time it was<br />
evident that a particular focus <strong>for</strong> CIFOR’s research<br />
should be in the moist tropical <strong>for</strong>ests <strong>of</strong> Asia. Trees in<br />
the family Dipterocarpaceae, “the <strong>dipterocarps</strong>” are a<br />
major component <strong>of</strong> southeast Asia’s tropical <strong>for</strong>ests.<br />
Their wood is pre-eminent in the international tropical<br />
timber trade and they play a key role in the economies<br />
<strong>of</strong> several countries.<br />
A considerable research ef<strong>for</strong>t had already been<br />
devoted to the management and utilisation <strong>of</strong> dipterocarp<br />
<strong>for</strong>ests starting with the British in India last century and<br />
continuing throughout the 20th century, especially in<br />
Malaysia. A vast amount <strong>of</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation has been<br />
gathered, but un<strong>for</strong>tunately it has not been consolidated<br />
and no readily accessible compilation <strong>of</strong> results has been<br />
available. This has reduced the impact <strong>of</strong> the research<br />
and has almost certainly resulted in the duplication <strong>of</strong><br />
ef<strong>for</strong>ts by national and international bodies.<br />
As a new international research centre it was<br />
appropriate that CIFOR should take the initiative and<br />
commission a general <strong>review</strong> <strong>of</strong> the current state <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> dipterocarp taxonomy, ecology and<br />
silviculture, to identify gaps in this knowledge and to<br />
spell out priority areas <strong>for</strong> new research. This action<br />
accorded with the views <strong>of</strong> many members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
in<strong>for</strong>mal Round Table on Dipterocarps who had been<br />
meeting on a regular basis to share in<strong>for</strong>mation on the<br />
family . A draft outline <strong>of</strong> the book was endorsed by the<br />
Fifth Round Table on Dipterocarps at its meeting in<br />
Chiang Mai, Thailand late in 1994. Since then, under the<br />
direction <strong>of</strong> Christian Cossalter at CIFOR and Dr S.<br />
Appannah at Forest <strong>Research</strong> Institute Malaysia (FRIM),<br />
13 authors have prepared and revised the 10 chapters <strong>of</strong><br />
the book. With authors located in Asia, Europe and the<br />
United States this has been a major undertaking and the<br />
ef<strong>for</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> all concerned to bring this work to a successful<br />
conclusion are very much appreciated.<br />
I anticipate that this book will be especially<br />
beneficial to those planning research on <strong>dipterocarps</strong> in<br />
Asia. I hope it will assist university graduate and postgraduate<br />
researchers, and especially scientists in national<br />
and international organisations to re-orient their research<br />
to meet priority needs. The <strong>review</strong> should also be useful<br />
to <strong>for</strong>est managers in both public and private sectors who<br />
must make decisions based on whatever in<strong>for</strong>mation is<br />
available to them and who have neither the time nor the<br />
resources to delve into the highly dispersed literature<br />
on <strong>dipterocarps</strong>.<br />
CIFOR is very grateful to many people <strong>for</strong> their<br />
assistance with this book; to all the contributing authors<br />
<strong>for</strong> their commitment and <strong>for</strong> their patience with demands<br />
made on them by the editors; to the <strong>review</strong>ers who<br />
provided critical appraisals <strong>of</strong> the chapters and made<br />
valuable inputs; to the editors who brought all the<br />
contributions together and completed endless checking<br />
and cross-checking <strong>of</strong> the in<strong>for</strong>mation: to the CIFOR<br />
Communications Group <strong>for</strong> typesetting and layout; and<br />
finally to the staff <strong>of</strong> the Forest <strong>Research</strong> Institute<br />
Malaysia and its Director General Dr. M.A.A. Razak <strong>for</strong><br />
their unflagging support and cooperation in producing<br />
this book. I thank all who contributed in so many ways.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. Jeffrey Sayer<br />
Director General <strong>of</strong> CIFOR