Utilization and products of Dipterocarps - the case of Peninsular Malaysia

Lim S. C., . and Norini H., . (2003) Utilization and products of Dipterocarps - the case of Peninsular Malaysia. [Proceedings Paper]

For decades the development of the forestry sector in general and the forest-based industries FBIs in particular depended greatly on the availability of timber from the forests. It was only in late 1997 that the planting of forest plantation species such as teak Tectona grandis and sentang Azadirachta excelsa was promoted in a big way. However the effort to set up forest plantations with species such as teak and Pinus caribaea with the key aim being timber production started way back in the 1950s and continued through 1967. The growing interest in planting fast-growing forest plantation species echoed the concern over future timber shortages i.e. dipterocarps or non-dipterocarps from the natural forests. In the context of the international timber trade dipterocarps are preferred over non-dipterocarps because of their higher market values. One of the most alarming statements lately is that Peninsular Malaysia is expected to extract less dipterocarps in the future even though the existing natural forests have been managed under two well-known management systems the Malayan Uniform System MUS and the Selective Management System SMS with prescribed cutting limits. The reasons for less extraction of dipterocarps were the high mortality rate of residuals and low recruitment of new saplings of dipterocarps. With the expected decrease in the production of dipterocarps the next critical issue is whether we are losing all our dipterocarps. Before any conclusive comment can be made on the status of dipterocarps in the natural forests past and current production and utilization of dipterocarps need to be quantified in some way. This paper therefore not only highlights the production and utilization of dipterocarps as well as their products but also discusses the possibility of substituting non-dipterocarps for dipterocarps based on their properties and uses.

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Abstract

For decades the development of the forestry sector in general and the forest-based industries FBIs in particular depended greatly on the availability of timber from the forests. It was only in late 1997 that the planting of forest plantation species such as teak Tectona grandis and sentang Azadirachta excelsa was promoted in a big way. However the effort to set up forest plantations with species such as teak and Pinus caribaea with the key aim being timber production started way back in the 1950s and continued through 1967. The growing interest in planting fast-growing forest plantation species echoed the concern over future timber shortages i.e. dipterocarps or non-dipterocarps from the natural forests. In the context of the international timber trade dipterocarps are preferred over non-dipterocarps because of their higher market values. One of the most alarming statements lately is that Peninsular Malaysia is expected to extract less dipterocarps in the future even though the existing natural forests have been managed under two well-known management systems the Malayan Uniform System MUS and the Selective Management System SMS with prescribed cutting limits. The reasons for less extraction of dipterocarps were the high mortality rate of residuals and low recruitment of new saplings of dipterocarps. With the expected decrease in the production of dipterocarps the next critical issue is whether we are losing all our dipterocarps. Before any conclusive comment can be made on the status of dipterocarps in the natural forests past and current production and utilization of dipterocarps need to be quantified in some way. This paper therefore not only highlights the production and utilization of dipterocarps as well as their products but also discusses the possibility of substituting non-dipterocarps for dipterocarps based on their properties and uses.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. QK495 D564R859 2002 Call Number.
AGROVOC Term:	Dipterocarps
AGROVOC Term:	Forest industry
AGROVOC Term:	Utilization
AGROVOC Term:	Forestry production
AGROVOC Term:	Products
AGROVOC Term:	Logs
AGROVOC Term:	Timber
AGROVOC Term:	Nontimber forest products
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:16
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13488

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