E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

A Q U A RT E R LY O F THE FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MALAY S I A ISSN 1394-5467

JULY ● AUGUST ● SEPTEMBER 2002

This issue’s focus

Pitching ForPlantation WoodMaking TimberPlantations Viable

This issue’s focus

Pitching ForPlantation WoodMaking TimberPlantations Viable

• FRIM’s Millennium Trees • Recalcitrant Seeds • Test-Tube Trees • Developing A Cutting Edge • Delaying Teak Flowering

• Plantation Silviculture • Plantation Options • Scientist In Focus • Palm Paper • The Russians Are Coming • The Grapevine • Saving Fraser’s Hill

• FRIM’s Millennium Trees • Recalcitrant Seeds • Test-Tube Trees • Developing A Cutting Edge • Delaying Teak Flowering

• Plantation Silviculture • Plantation Options • Scientist In Focus • Palm Paper • The Russians Are Coming • The Grapevine • Saving Fraser’s Hill

AONE-STOP agency on plantationestablishment for investors andplanters must be in place if this

sector is to take off. Information such as available lands

with potential for plantations, forexample, and a good forestry extensionservice providing seedlings and advice onforest tree cultivation ought to beprovided by the respective States.

“The R&D requirements for plantationdevelopment are mainly on line, withresearch streamlined to focus on thespecies with highest potential,” said DrBaskaran Krishnapillay, FRIM’s ForestPlantation Division director.

The lands (inclusive of degraded, idleand logged-over State forest land andmainly in East Malaysia and the EastCoast) are available, and this without

sacrificing any of our Permanent ForestEstates (PFEs). There are, however,constraints in land acquisition and issuesof land tenure that need to be addressed.

Over 430,000 ha of land in thePeninsula on a 15-year rotation period isprojected to be the requirement for forestplantations. This is based on year 2000 logconsumption levels, an average productionlevel of 180m3/ha/yr and an estimated,

More on page 2

Overview/Policies

Carrots To Sprout Tree FarmsPromoting forest plantations

FIF JUL-SEP '02 1/1/1904 9:54 AM Page 1

ATIMBER deficit of eight million cubic metres is thought to be faced by our wood-based industries each year1, as we cut back on harvests in sustainable practices andour total installed processing capacity exceeds supply.

However, this appears to mask the current reduced demand that is stalling many of ourmills, and a timber shortfall of over a million cubic metres (for Peninsular Malaysia)would be closer to the mark2. To be sure, even with present demand levels, this deficitwould rise in years to come, as supplies from natural forests is reduced (see cover story).

Forest plantations (and we’re not talking rubber) are touted to be the solution,particularly for the ravenous pulp and paper industry, and for general utility timber.

Besides reducing pressure on natural forest conversions3, plantations upgrade degradedforest lands, promote the productivity of idle lands, alleviate rural poverty withagroforestry schemes and bypass the issue of labour shortage in the agricultural sectorwith low labour-demanding timber plantations.

So have our plantations prospered? In this issue, we turn our attention to some of theproblems and prospects faced in this sector before it can be the promised panacea of thetimber industry: namely, species choice and silvicultural techniques, adequate, qualityplanting stock, disease control, and tree breeding and genetic improvement.

The non-technical, instrumental areas of government policy and incentives, and socio-economic aspects like planter profiles and forms of land tenure, must also be addressedsince private sector investment must be the driving force in plantation establishment toattract the necessary funds and expertise.

Plantations make up some five percent of the world’s forests, and although not a newpractice, plantations as a source of industrial wood are relatively recent with half of theworld’s plantations less than 15 years old, and 62% of them in Asia4.

Chile and New Zealand have managed to establish extensive plantations to meet alltheir domestic needs as well as support a significant export sector, and New Zealand, thePhilippines and Thailand have withdrawn all, or most of their natural forests from timberproduction as a conservation strategy 4.

Indonesia, Myanmar and South Africa (rubberwood in the case of Malaysia) havebegun to supplement their wood supplies with plantation wood, while Europe, China andthe Far East are growing plantations to replenish and increase their forest estates4.

1 2001 estimates from the Malaysian Timber Council2 Dr Woon Weng Chuen, FRIM Techno-Economics Division director3 Normally, forest plantations involve extensive alteration of the ecosystem, disrupting for a long

time the complex closed nutrient cycle in tropical rainforests. Monocultures further destabilizethe system, and require heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides. However, since plantations wouldbe on degraded, logged-over forests or on idle lands, this would be a non-issue

4 State of The World’s Forests 2001, FAO

From The Editor

anticipated timber deficit of 5.56 millioncubic metres1.

Technical issues such as procuringenough quality planting stock, improvingsilvicultural knowledge and disease controlare constantly being addressed by research,and should pose no problem in the long run.

Inferior planting stock from unknownorigins, the ‘plant it and leave it’ m i s -silviculture, the problematic soils thatforestry is confined to, and exaggeratedprofit claims by some planters impededplantation development in the past.

To rectify setbacks suffered from theseearlier forays into the sector, Governmentincentives should be stepped up to lure the

private sector back into plantations. Theestimated projected total capital investmentneeded for the sector is RM2.37 billion1.

Already in place is tax exemption fromcorporate tax of 100% for 10 years on allstatutory income (pioneer status), or aninvestment tax allowance (ITA) at the rate of100% of the statutory income for five years.

However these incentives cannot be usedas it does not address the long gestation period(at least 15 years) in this sector and the cashflow problems that follow as a result.

Techno-Economics Division director DrWoon Weng Chuen2 suggests how theseincentives can be improved:

Rectifying Setbacks

EDITORIAL BOARD

ChairmanDato’ Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali

Advisory CommitteeDato’ Dr Wan Razali MohdDr Chan Hung TuckWan Rahmah Wan Abdul RaofDr Abdul Rashid MalekChoo Kheng TenNorhara HusseinDr Wan Rashidah Abdul KadirDr Abdul Rasip GhaniDr Abdul Rahman Kassim

EDITOR & WRITERVeronica Poopathy

FRIM In Focus (FIF) is distributedfree of charge upon request. Wewelcome feedback on any of theFIF articles. Address commentsand queries to:

The Chairman, FRIM In FocusForest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Telephone603-62797501

Facsimile603-62797878

E-mailrazak@frim.gov.myveron@frim.gov.my

Websitewww.frim.gov.my

Design & PrintingLangkawi I.D Sdn Bhd

Cover photo: Four-year-old sentang treesin a fertiliser trial plot at a plantation inKg Tasoh, Perlis

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2

From cover page

M ore on next page

FRIM INFOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

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• the qualifying capital expenditure fortax relief under the ITA be extended to15 years and allowed to be carriedforward to be used during theharvesting period,

• that such expenditure includes costssuch as those for timber certification,surveys, silviculture, pest and diseasecontrol and fire management,

• pioneer status to start from theproduction (harvesting) date for 10years,

• group relief be given which allowscompanies with other businessventures taking up plantation forestryto offset losses incurred in forestplantation in the initial years againstprofits of their other ventures, and

• such group relief shall not be mutuallyexclusive from pioneer status or ITA.

Plantation forestry funds that offer softloans or subsidies for new forest plantationsand their management costs has also beensuggested to offset the high initial capitalinvestments and long gestation periods.

The provision of market intelligenceon potential markets fetching profitableprices would be ideal. But predictingmarkets for such long-term ventures asplantations can be tricky.A preference fordarker-coloured timber 15 years down theroad, for instance, might adversely affectthe demand for rubberwood sawntimber.

Dr Baskaran said the volume of timberfrom mature plantations can vary from 95to 300m3/ha depending upon the speciesplanted. The total hectarage underplantations (of which 60% are located inSabah) currently stands at some 250,000ha, representing about one percent of totalforested land.

Forest plantations need a large area ofland to be commercially viable. Plantationsfor the sawmilling and furniture industryneed between 15,000 and 20,000 ha,

while chip/pulp and papermills require from 90,000to 200,000 ha.

Single, contiguous areasare ideal, or at least in theform of two or three nearbyparcels to facilitate easyand efficient managementof activities, with the land

being close tobasic amenities,road networks andprocessing millsand markets.

Lands stretching across State borderswould be dicey, as firms would have todeal with different procedures adopted bythe various State governments. Acoordinating agency, said Dr Baskaran,would help overcome this and make forthe easier establishment of plantations.

Small and isolated stands and holdingscould be developed via agroforestry,mixing high quality timber and timber-yielding fruit trees with cash crops.

Cash crop plantations by FELDA andother schemes can develop their marginalland for high quality timber species, andnative customary lands, if found inconcentrations, are suitable for high qualitytimber species like teak and sentang. ‘Pulpand paper plantations’ would be suitablein the vast expanses of Sabah and Sarawak.

Another issue of concern is competingfor labour in an economy where workingconditions in other industries are usuallymore conducive.

One option is increased mechanization.“Machines developed in countries likeFinland and Canada, for example, areenvironmental-friendly and highly flexiblein their plantation operations,” said DrBaskaran.

Quality seeds and trees selected fortheir superior timber characteristics andthen reproduced via various means are notenough to meet current and projectedneeds. While efforts are being stepped upto overcome this problem (see ‘StubbornSeeds That Go To Seed’, ‘Te s t - Tu b eTrees’ and ‘Developing A Cutting Edge’on pages 10 & 11), fly-by-night nurseriesare providing planting material ofunknown genetic sources.

Dr Baskaran said FRIM has signedMOUs with four nurseries to step upproduction of quality planting materials ofthe required species while the ForestryDepartment Of Peninsular Malaysia, withFRIM’s help, has set up the National SeedAnd Planting Material ProcurementCentre in Pahang.

Meanwhile, species choice and thesilvicultural concerns of species-sitematching, planting distance and density,rotation age, planting requirements andmanuring, et cetera are being addressed(see ‘Getting It Right’and ‘Seeing TheTrees For The Wood’on pages 6 & 7).

Over the years, species trial plots (forover 150 species, of which 55 aredipterocarps) have been conducted mainlyin FRIM. “It’s a vital body of work thatwill provide data for plantation

development well intothe future,” said DrBaskaran.

The problem ofsmaller logs that formthe bulk of plantationwood has been solvedsomewhat with wood-based industries adjusting to short lengthsand offcuts to form products with gluingand finger-jointing technology. Also, thereare more efforts to make use ofreconstituted wood.

Apart from improvements in timberyield through high quality plantingmaterials and better silvicultural practices,the financial viability of plantations canbe enhanced through integration withprocessing capacities to produce value-added products.

In the past, (with the exception ofSabah, the premier ‘plantation state’ interms of the number of species and totalhectarage planted) the position forplantations was rather hazy, and thecommitment somewhat lacklustre.

But with consistent policies,forthcoming funds and technical back-up,plantation development should start topaint a rosier picture from now on.

Plantations in Peninsular Malaysiawill be privatised, those in Sabah willcontinue to be accelerated where 745,080ha of land have been identified as suitablefor forest plantations, while plantationsare taking off for Sarawak with onemillion ha of land planned for fast-growing species during the next 15-20years, and the State enacting legislationfor the orderly establishment, maintenanceand harvesting of plantation forests 3.

I n formation obtained from Dr Baskara nKrishnapillay (baskaran@frim.gov.my)1 Plantation Fo rests – Future Timber Supply :

A Technical And Economic Perspective,paper presented by Dr Woon Weng Chuenat the National Workshop On The Use OfTimber In Construction-Pre f ab r i c a t e dTimber Roof Truss in July

2 C o m m e rcial Tree Plantation From APrivate Sector Perspective, paper by DrWoon Weng Chuen and KTS Resources SdnBhd Projects And Special Functions Genera lManager Lim Choon Yang at the SeminarOn Forestry And Forest-Based Industries –Socio-Economic And Policy Issues in June

3 Report On Malaysia’s Primary Commodities,Ministry of Primary Industries, December2001

Cultivating The Right Conditions

From previous page

Dr Baskaran... R&Drequirements for forest

plantations on line

I S S U E I N F O C U S

Dr Woon...Incentive packagetailored for the long-gestation plantationsector needed

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3FRIM IN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

FIF JUL-SEP '02 1/1/1904 9:54 AM Page 3

M I N D I N G O U R B U S I N E S S

FRIM is one of 13 local varsities and research institutionsthat will be working with Russian scientists in a Malaysia-Russia bilateral collaboration set to jumpstart our

biotechnology to new heights with ‘quantum leap’ findings inseveral critical areas of research.

Ta rgeted research goals include the production ofphytomedicines from P hyllanthus amarus (dukung anak) for use incancer therapy and prevention, an area where FRIM’s MedicinalPlant Division deputy-director Dr Rasadah Mat Ali is involvedtogether with scientists from UPM, MARDI, UTM and UNIMAS.

Other targeted areas include the production of pharmaceuticalproteins (recombinant human growth hormones and recombinantantibodies) from rubber latex and high-value fatty acids frompalm oil, development of protein and DNA b i o c h i p(nanotechnology) for the diagnosis of infectious diseases,development of anti-viral drugs against dengue and technologyacquisition in state-of-the-art diagnostics and gene therapy.

The collaboration will have ‘Russia’s MIT’, the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute Of Bioorganic Chemistry, provide training tolocal scientists via research attachments and graduate training inM o s c o w, and when Russian scientists come here for joint research.

The MOA signed when Prime Minister Datuk Seri DrMahathir Mohamad visited Russia in March, is between AkademiSains Malaysia and the Russian Academy Of Sciences, with theoverall project costing some RM15 million that is expected tocome from Government sources.

Meanwhile, FRIM has identified 11 herbs in the country usedby local herbal manufacturers – among them hempedu bumi,mengkudu, misai kucing and pegaga, besides the popularaphrodisiacs and health tonics tongkat ali and kacip fatimah, – astargets for upgrading the sector in terms of the safety, efficacyand efficient production of herbal products.

Towards this end, FRIM is starting its herbal processing plantby year’s end.

The local herbal health industry, estimated to be worth RM1.2billion in 1998 and growing at the rate of 15 to 20 percent everyyear, is still vastly untapped. The current market price of tongkatali is about RM40 per kg.

Rural backyard processing plants (forming the majority ofherbal product producers), with their unsatisfactory hygiene andscientifically unsound methods, pose a health hazard. Forinstance, tongkat ali must be processed within three days beforebacteria proliferation sets in.

Another worry is the fast-depleting herbs that are beingharvested from forests without proper cultivation of these plants.Supplies of tongkat ali are reaching critically low levels. “Wemust start growing the herb now because five years is all it takesto start being harvestable. The plant is easy to grow – farmers cancultivate it with oil palm, coconut or sentang trees,” said DrRasadah.

I n formation obtained from Dr Rasadah Mat Ali ( ra s a d a h @ f r i m . gov. my )

Collaborations

The Russians Are ComingRussian know-how and Malaysian resources are set to boost biotechnology in the country; FRIM to startits own herbal processing plant by year’s end

GRATIFYING what a little query can do. In our pr eviousissue in June , we hinted at an oil palm pulp and paper mill inthe works, in response to a reader’s question.Things mo vedapace after that,and we were ready to call a press conferenceon July 2.This is an edited version of what appeared in theNew Straits Times the next day:

THE world's first pulp and paper mill that uses oil palmbiomass as feedstock is expected to start operating in thecountry by 2004.

The pilot plant at the Ulu Sebol Palm Oil Mill in Kulai, Johor,has an initial capacity to process 20 tonnes of empty fresh fruitbunches (EFB) a day from the RM30 million mill, which willalso make other products such as medium density fibreboard,fibre mats and particleboards.

Future commercial production of pulp by a full-fledged millcosting between RM80 million and RM100 million to build isexpected to be in the region of at least 100,000 tonnes of pulp ayear.

Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaiksaid Malaysia can emerge as a major pulp and paper player as thecountry produces some 30 million tonnes of oil palm biomass a year.

The Minister was speaking on the occasion of the signing ofa MOU between the Malaysian Forestry Research A n d

Development Board and OP B i o m a s sTechnologies (OPBT) Sdn Bhd to developa new pulping method, using ethanol asthe main solvent.

The US-based ‘organosolv process’uses clean technology, thus preserving theenvironment. Malaysia’s 351 palm oilmills produce 30 million tonnes of EFB,not including the trunks and fronds, whichare either thrown away, used as fertilisers,animal feed or burned to generate energy.

The new pulping process can produceone tonne of pulp with five tonnes ofEFB, which means the country can produce three million tonnesof pulp per year from EFB alone. At the current pulp price ofsome US$500 a tonne, the extra income will amount to US$1.5billion.

Each year, the country imports over RM2.7 billion worth ofprinting and writing paper, kraft and medium weight packagingmaterials, and other related products.

There are currently 19 paper manufacturing companies andone pulp and paper mill in the country. The only kraft pulpoperation in Sabah has the capacity to produce 150,000 tonnes ofpulp a year.

Collaborations

Palm Paper And It’s No Pulp FictionPaper from oil palm by 2004 and what's more, we can be a major pulp and paper player

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4 FRIM INFOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

Datuk Seri Dr Lim...His Ministry might coax

the Chinese pulp andpaper manufacturers to

forge joint ventures withtheir Malaysian

counterparts. Chinaneeds about seven

million tonnes of pulpper year

FIF JUL-SEP '02 1/1/1904 9:54 AM Page 4

TEMPERATURES can soar up to 1,100ºC within 40minutes in the event of a fire with an accompanyingbuild-up in air pressure within a building.

Doors and walls, being the main conduit through whichfires spread, must be built to withstand such onslaughts.

A full-scale fire resistance furnace at FRIM’s fire protectionlaboratory has, since 1986, been testing doors and walls fortheir integrity (fire containment) and thermal transmittance(insulation).

The LPG-fired furnace is used to determine the fire ratingof doors and walls, as required by building by-laws enforced bythe Fire And Rescue Department Malaysia and SIRIM QAS SdnBhd, based on the Malaysian standard, MS 1073: Part 2&3: 1996.

Doors would be deemed to have failed the integrity testshould cracks or other openings develop through which flamesor hot gases flare forth.

Also, should obstructed gap gauges or fissures exceeding6mm in diameter by 150mm in length, or 12mm in diameter by25mm in length develop in the door assembly, this constitutesfailure. So, too, sustained flaming of more than 10 seconds onthe unexposed face (the side of the door not directly exposed tofire).

Doors fail the insulation test when the mean temperature ofthemocouples (gadgets used to detect temperatures at specificpoints on unexposed surfaces) register temperature increases ofmore than 140ºC above the initial temperature (for five,specific standard points), or more than 180ºC above the initialtemperature at any point on the unexposed surface.

Doorsets must also pass the cyclic movement endurancetest when they are subjected to 100,000 cycles of continuousopening and closing. Doors would be deemed durable after thistest if they can still close properly, maintain all clearancesbetween door leaf, door frame and the floor, and show no signsof wear and tear.

The furnace, upgraded in 1999 for four hours of fire testingand computerised for accurate data analysis, is made up ofcalcium silicate, fire-insulating bricks.

The furnace consists of six burners which control firetemperatures according to the standard temperature time curve.

The hardiest doors to withstand fires are solid timber onesmade from heavy hardwood, but these are costly and limited insupply. Most doors today are cheaper composites made of non-combustible substances as the door core, combined with timberand plywood finishes.

Doors must be subjected to at least one hour of firing to testtheir fire-resistance capacities, while roller shutters (the kindsthat shops use) undergo four-hour tests. Concrete walls arenormally tested for two hours.

The laboratory’s indicative furnace also tests smaller itemssuch as panel boards, lock-set accessories, safe deposit boxes,beams, flooring and ceilings. The lab aims to acquire the ISO:17025 certification by year ’s end.

Information obtained from Zaihan Jalaludin (zaihan@frim.gov.my)and Nor Azian Mohd Kasby (azain@frim.gov.my)

FRIM Services

Fiery TrialsFRIM’s fire protection lab tests doors and walls for their fire rating

5FRIMIN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

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Bringing the house down... Preliminary work to calibrate temperaturerise in a timber house fire. It was undertaken by FRIM in 1990 on ahouse already slotted for demolition

This one failed... A metal doorbursts into flames and billowsheavy smoke in the furnace

Closer encounters... A workerusing a diameter gauge to closerinspect integrity failure

SARAWAK Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk PatinggiHaji Abdul Taib Mahmud ( r i g h t ) r e c e i v e s

Malaysian Forestry Research And Development BoardChairman Datuk Seri Lim Cheong Keat in Kuchingwhen the latter came a-calling recently. Looking on isFRIM Deputy Director-General Dato Dr Wan RazaliMohd. The purpose of the visit was to foster closer tiesand support for future FRIM undertakings.

FRIM Happenings

“ L e t ’s Be Friends & Work To g e t h e r ”

FIF

FIF JUL-SEP '02 1/1/1904 9:54 AM Page 5

I S S U E I N F O C U S

6 FRIM INFOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

IDEALLY, to placate environmentalists, mixed speciesplanting is advocated to mimic (however poorly) thebiodiversity of original forests, and help curb pest anddisease outbreaks.

But silviculturists would balk at the difficulty (andexpense) of managing such plantations with the spectrum ofvarying tending needs demanded by the different species1.

Species choice is one of a host of criteria for forestplantations, if they are to be profitable ventures.

Good germination ability and high percentage of survivalon out-planting must be considered, as well as fast heightgrowth in the early stages.

Additionally, the species must be tolerant of shade andside competition, have good natural bole form, be naturallyself-pruning and exhibit a low crown diameter/diameter atbreast height ratio. More marks if the species display rapidgrowth and is a fast volume producer.

Being insect and fungal resistant, a producer of qualitypoles in thinning and a yielder of high economic value timberpositively endears the species to growers. If they alsodemonstrate low site specificity, prolific seed production,natural regeneration and suitability for cutting propagation –well, they are practically the Chosen Ones.

Easier said than done, naturally (or even artificially, forthat matter).

Exotics have been preferred because adequate knowledgein the propagation and silvicultural management ofindigenous species is lacking. Plus exotics are generally fast-growing and high-yielding with a plentiful supply of seeds.

However, some fast-growing exotics yield poorer qualitytimber while patience is demanded of planters opting for theslow-growing, but higher-valued native species.

Current research focus is on indigenous trees to producebetter quality timber. This begins with the search for ‘Plus’trees: candle-like trees with the high economic value traits oflong, straight, large, cylindrical and branchless trunks (orclear boles, as they’re called in the industry).

“To date we have identified and successfully completedprofiles of 15 species with these traits and are propagating viaseeds, cuttings and tissue culture those trees with provensuperior growth and yield performance. These are also treesthat constitute viable populations with sufficient geneticvariation,” said Forest Plantations Division deputy director DrAbdul Rasip Abdul Ghani, who also heads the Tree BreedingAnd Improvement Unit at the division.

But the quest for quality is a never-ceasing pursuit with theregular development of new clones and varieties with ever-improving traits, and for this purpose FRIM has set up severalseed orchards to allow superior trees to cross-breed.

After the species choice is decided, there must be species-site matching where the species scheduled for planting arecompatible with the site. This can pose a problem for theheterogeneous area of large plantations.

Next, site management must ensure field operations arecarried out with as little site disturbance as possible. Proper

stand treatment follows, with plants given the space and standdensity they need for satisfactory growth and gooddevelopment.

Objectives and regimes must be clearly set in themanagement of forest operations, and adequate forestprotection against diseases, pests and fire must be considered.

To meet the timber deficit, rubberwood (used mainly forfurniture) does not suffice. Now timber-latex clones are usedin replanting activities. These are latex producers that willalso maximize timber production.

Teak and sentang, (currently about 5,000 ha each) are thestar trees at the moment, providing high quality timber. Theother specialty species that can yield high value timber forveneers, paneling and furniture are Khaya spp, Swietenia spp.,Dyera costulata, and Araucaria spp. that can be grown inplantation conditions or in smallholdings mostly in State landsand private holdings in 15- to 20-year rotations.

Species for general utility timber such as plywood cores,fibreboards, particleboards, interior construction wood andother low grade use timber of 15- to 20-year rotations areEndospermum malaccense, Acacia hybrids and Pa ra s e r i e n t h e sfulcataria. They are suitable to be grown in reforestationschemes and as enrichment planting (although the trackrecord for the latter has been dismal).

Shorea spp., Hopea spp. and Dryobalanops spp. grown forlonger rotations of between 30 and 35 years yield high-valuetimber for furniture.

Finally, there is the pulp species of Acacia mangium,grown large-scale in one site in short rotations of six to eight yearsin State lands. (For more information on potential plantationspecies, see ‘FRIM’s Millennium Tr e e s ’ on pages 8 and 9)

I n formation obtained from Dr Baskaran Krishnapillay( b a s k a ra n @ f r i m . gov. my ), Dr Abdul Rasip Abdul Ghani( ra s i p @ f r i m . gov. my ) and from the paper, Availability And Utilisationof Plantation Species by Dr Abdul Rasip, Mohd Noor Mahat( m o h d n o o r @ f r i m . gov. my ),Dr Ahmad Shakri Mat Seman(shakri@frim.gov.my) and Mohd Zaki Abdullah (zaky@frim.gov.my)1Block planting has been suggested as one method of compromise

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Plantation Silviculture

Getting It RightOn designing successful plantations

Candle trees... Long, straight and branchless trunks make ideal timber

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I S S U E I N F O C U S

Species Viability

Seeing The Trees For The WoodVarious options for forest plantations exist for would-be planters

TEAK is the pick of the lotwhen it comes to monoculturefor wood extraction. At theprojected price of RM 600/m3,

it provides the highest return amongplantation options.

Sentang fetches RM 450/m3, whilei t ’s RM 150/m3 and RM 95/m3 f o rAcacia and Hevea (rubber) respectively.

The establishment of Hevea solelyfor log extraction must be integratedwith at least sawntimber or fibrewoodprocessing activities to benefit from thelucrative value added.

For the smallholding sector, as thesegrowers could ill-afford the longgestation period before realising incomefrom wood, planting for timber must beintegrated with agricultural cash and/orfood crops.

In 1999, there were some 3.47million ha of rubber and oil palm land.As much as five percent of such land arevoid and unproductive (steep hills,plantation borders, roadsides, riverbanks, and spaces around off i c e s ,factories and living quarters). T h e s eareas can be planted with high qualitytimber species such as khaya, sentang,mahogany and meranti tembaga duringreplanting.

To begin with, model agroforestryplantations are being set up in rubberand oil palm estates nationwide,involving FELDA, FELCRA, RISDAand private plantations.

“These would serve as demonstrationplots as well as adaptive research sites

and become the reference centresthrough which potential investors canobtain first-hand information,” said DrNajib Lotfy Arshad at FRIM’sAgroforestry Unit.

Heart rot-plagued Acacia mangiumplantations (some 56,000 ha inPeninsular Malaysia that were plantedin the 1990s) have yet to yield profitswith low quality yields and low logprices, downgrading it as the mainplantation species (because of its fastgrowth rates and adaptability to poorsoils).

While good for pulp and paperneeds at shorter rotations, feasibility canbe enhanced if the plantations areintegrated with processing facilitiessuch as integrated timber complexes,and pulp and paper mills.

But there is now renewed interest inthis wood for general utility timber withthe development of A c a c i a h y b r i d s .Also, efforts to increase the productivityof these A. mangium plantations inPeninsular Malaysia are being done intrial underplant/line planting with highquality dipterocarps (Shorea parvifolia,Shorea leprosula and Neobalanocarpush e i m i i ) near FRIM’s Bidor fieldresearch station.

Dr Ang Lai Hoe who heads theEcophysiology Unit at FRIM said themulti-storied forest management projectshows that these dipterocarps can bedomesticated as plantation species andare suitable for upgrading present A.mangium plantations into a higher value

timber production area. The trees perform best at planting

widths of between 15 to 33.3 m, with S.leprosula producing the highest totalstand volume per hectare. The plantingof N. heimii is considered strategic as itstimber is facing severe shortage and it isthe most expensive timber to date.Although a relatively slow grower, itcan grow in the open after the initialstage of establishment.

Dr Ang said a planting density of450 trees/ha would supply enoughpotential crop trees for producing amerchantable volume of 150 m3/ h a ,assuming a 45% survival rate at the endof the rotation.

Mixed plantations (H ev e a t r e e sinterspersed with teak or sentang) areappropriate for smallholding tomaximize revenue from teak or sentanglogs while ensuring a continuous flowof annual income during the latexexploitation period. This option appearsattractive given the bonus income fromteak or sentang integrated with thehedgegrow planting of Hevea.

I n formation obtained from Dr Baskara nKrishnapillay (baskaran@frim.gov.my), DrAng Lai Hoe (anglh@frim.gov.my), Dr NajibLotfy Arshad (najib@frim.gov.my) and thepaper, Establishment Technique Of ShoreaL e p rosula, Shorea Pa r v i folia A n dNeobalanocarpus Heimii Plantations byHiroshi Nagai, Takuya Honma, Che Aziz BinAli and Dr Ang

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7FRIM IN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

Watch this space... Void land in oil palm estates can be put to productive use with timber cultivationWatch this space... Void land in oil palm estates can be put to productive use with timber cultivation

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Pictures and information pr ovided by Rosdi Koter (rosdi@frim.gov.my)

RESEARCH on 15 fast-growing, high-yielding plantation timber species is being carried outfor afforestation of idle land and reforestation of logged-over forests, thus aiding efforts toconserve our natural and virgin forests.

An example is the RM 500,000 forest plantation research project on an eight-hectare plot inFRIM that is sponsored by Hong Leong Group Malaysia.

Forest Plantation Timber

FRIM’s Millen

Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus)Structural timber for light to heavyconstruction, joists, rafters, beams andinterior finishes. Its red-hued and fine-figured timber makes it valuable forhigh quality furniture, panelling,musical instruments, cabinet work,interior joinery and decorative flooring.Agricultural implements, cart and guncarriages, oil presses, tool handles andcarvings are other uses for this wood. A20-year rotation with a Mai d of 1.3cm.

M e r anti Sarang Punai ( S h o rea parvifo l i a )Used for light-duty flooring, panelling, ceilings,shelves and interior partitions. Takes at least 30years to mature with a Mai d of 1cm.

A c a c i a (Acacia hybrid & Acacia mangium)Used for furniture and cabinet making, doorand window frames and moulding lightflooring. It also provides pulpwood after sixto eight years of growth, and sawn timberafter 15 years. Maid of 2.2cm.

Meranti Bukit (Shorea platyclados)A light to medium weight hardwood, itis the most common type of utilitytimber. Suitable for medium and heavyconstruction work, for doors andwindow frames, utility flooring andboat building. Takes at least 30 years tomature with a Maid of 1cm.

Jati (Tectona grandis)Used for interior finishes and interior joinery such aswindows and solid panel doors. Also for laboratory andkitchen tables. It takes at least 15 years to mature with a Maid

of 1.8cm.

African Maho gany(Khaya ivorensis)Used for furniture andcabinetwork, veneerand plywood andoccasionally forconstruction and boatdecking. It takes atleast 15 years tomature. It has a Maid

of 2 cm.

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Spanning five years, the studies include monitoring the trees’ growth rate and yields, fertilizerrequirements and maintenance work. In the past, the focus was on a single or a few species, but nowdeveloping a broad base of species is the preferred approach to diversify the timber industry andspread the risks.

The trees featured on these pages are among the present potential plantation species expected tobe the country’s commercial timbers of the future.

Note: Maid refers to the mean annual diameter increment

llennium Trees

Mer awan Siput Jantan (Hopea odorata)The wood is suitable for rollers in the textile industry and for piles andbridge construction. It takes at least 30 years to mature. A Maid of 1cm.

Meranti Tembag a (Shorea leprosula)Excellent timber for joinery, utility

furniture, shop and office fittings, panelling,ceilings, cabin fittings, light-duty flooringand interior partitions. It takes at least 30

years to mature with a Mai d of 1cm.

Sentang (Azadirachta excelsa)Used for joinery, interior finishing, panelling, partitioning, sliced veneer, flooring, turneries and matches.It takes at least 15 years to mature, has a Maid of 2.1cm and an espacement of 2.5m by 4m yields 12m3/haof wood annually in the first 10 years. A well-known village tree in Peninsular Malaysia, its young leavesare consumed as a vegetable, while mature leaves are sought after as medicine. Closely resembles popularspecies like nyatoh and mahogany, with a density comparable to meranti, keruing, nyatoh and ramin. Itsmodulus of rupture, compression parallel to grain and shear properties are superior to rubberwood.

Jelutong(Dyera costulata)Suitable for light

industriesrequiring versatileproperties such asmatch sticks and

pencils. Also usedfor furniture parts,

door knobs andceilings. It takesat least 20 yearsto mature with a

Maid of 1.6cm.

Sungkai (Peronema canescans)Used for pillars in houses, furniture andcabinets for decorative veneer andexternal frames. A 15-year rotationwith a Maid of 2cm.

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9FRIM IN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

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LIKE spiralling shuttlecocks teased by a breeze, ripenedseeds of dipterocarp trees parachute down to the forestfloor come fruiting season.

In the fecund jungle soil, under the protective shade of theirmother tree, these winged bearers of the next generation oftropical timber’s most important family of trees, promptlygerminate, grow and wait…

They wait for Mother to lose a branch, shed some leaves…anything that would open the forest canopy and let there belight. Sunshine triggers a frenzied growth and rivalry for spaceand nutrients among the saplings, until the strongest survives tobecome the new tree on the block.

This cycle of natural forest regeneration must be aped (withmodifications, no less) for the forest plantation scenario. Butthere is just one problem: the seeds, once collected, must besowed quickly, or they perish. Large collections for storage andfuture planting in reforestation and afforestation schemes canthus prove an uphill task.

Some 70% of our tropical timber species produce such‘recalcitrant’ seeds, meaning they do not undergo dormancy,but are metabolically primed for immediate germination oncethey reach maturity.

With their high moisture content (as high as 90%), theselarge, unorthodox seeds die if dried below certain moisturelimits (12-30%) or subjected to low temperatures (below 16ºC),defying most conventional storage techniques.

At FRIM’s Seed Technology Unit (STU), successfulmethods to store such seeds for up to a year have beendeveloped. The seedling chamber storage constructed withoptimal light, temperature and humidity conditions storesgerminated seeds treated with fungicide. The seedlings’growthare slowed, attaining a height of 20 — 25 cm over a three to 12-month period, with a survival rate of between 60 and 80%.

Seeds are also allowed togerminate and grow in the deepshade of the forest floor and dugout and transplanted to a nursery,when needed, where they areexposed to gradual incrementsof light and temperature toencourage further development.

For long term storage(apart from in situ conservationin national parks and forestreserves and ex situ conservationin arboreta and botanic gardens),cryopreservation of whole seedsor embryos in liquid nitrogen (at–196ºC) has been successfulwith 10 recalcitrant and 23 non-recalcitrant species.

“We are now developingprotocols to conserve rare andendemic timber species inMalaysia,” said Dr MarzalinaMansor who heads STU.

Another source of seedattrition is the improperhandling of seeds duringtransportation. Dr Marzalinahelped the ForestryDepartment Of PeninsularMalaysia build the mobileseed-seedling chamber whichcan secure seed viability for upto 20 days, useful for longjourneys.

The laboratory at STU alsodetermines the quality of seeds(with moisture content andgermination capacity as themain criteria) brought in fromthe various phenological plotsand seed production areas inthe country.

Seed collection also posesa problem as tropical trees areerratic seed bearers, floweringat intervals of three to eightyears in response to climaticchanges. STU conductscontinuous monitoring of theirplots to observe forest trees’flowering and fruiting patternand how climate changesaffect leaf and bud formation,leaf fall, floral anthesis, fruitset and ripening.

STU comes out with amonthly bulletin on when andwhere forest trees are fruiting,although the accurateprediction of flowering andfruiting seasons is still in itsinfancy. Drought, El Nino andmonth-long drops in nighttemperatures prior to floweringhave been thought to triggerfruiting in some areas.

With the current emphasison indigenous dipterocarp treespecies in addition to exoticsfor our plantation forests, theanticipated increase in demandfor recalcitrant seeds should begood news: with shorterstorage intervals, seed survivalrates would concomitantlyrise.

For more information, contact Dr Marzalina Mansor at(mzalina@frim.gov.my)

ASMARHASSAN

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Natural Propagation

Stubbor n Seeds That Go To SeedRecalcitrant seeds and the challenge of ensuring enough quality planting stock

10 FRIM INFOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

Gyratingparachutiststhat can’twait togrow...Dipterocarp‘shuttlecock’seeds (left &bottom)

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TAPPING into cuttings as plantingstock is feasible save for one

drawback: the lack of a tap root to anchorthe regenerated plant.

Instead, the plants (or timber trees inthis context) that eventually develop fromthe rooted stems obtained from saplings,grow ancillary roots out of which a mainroot will develop to keep the plant in theground.

“These roots, however, still do a goodjob of holding down the plantation trees inthe interim before they are felled for theirtimber,” said Dr Aminah Hamzah whoheads FRIM’s Nursery Unit.

Cuttings, in fact, are an easy,relatively cheap and successful method topropagate trees in the face of recalcitrantseeds that are difficult to store. Cuttingsalso serve as clones of the saplings fromwhich they are obtained and thus

predictable in the duplication of desirabletraits valued in timber trees.

P r e s e n t l y, cuttings, with a 70% survivalrate for both dipterocarps (14 species) andnon-dipterocarps (seven species) serveabout 10% of planting stock supply for theState forestry departments and nurseries,and private plantation companies.

Cuttings are first dipped into ahormone solution to encourage rooting.Dipterocarp species take between 12 and16 weeks to root, while non-dipterocarpspecies are easier rooters, taking fromeight to 12 weeks. The cuttings are thenplanted into a rooting medium to developinto saplings within four to six months’time, before being transplanted inplantations.

For more information, contact Dr AminahHamzah (aminah@frim.gov.my)

Vegetative Propagation

Developing A Cutting Edg eRooting for cuttings as a source of planting stock

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In Vitro Propagation

Test-Tube Tr eesTissue culture propagation paves the way for future forest species reproduction

WITHIN a 600-sq ft of laboratory space, 100,000plants can be grown, at the rate of a million plantsreproduced within a year from just 10 specimens.

This is the power of tissue culture propagation. Plus, incontrast to recalcitrant seeds, in vitro storage of planting stockis indefinite, and elite clones with superior traits (high-yield,rapid-growth, pest and disease tolerance, et. cetera) can bereproduced with guaranteed identical and uniform traits, thusensuring field performance and improved yield forecast.

The only snag: propagation protocols for recalcitranttropical tree species such as dipterocarps, the species mostvalued for their timber, take a long time to develop.

So far, FRIM’s Tissue Culture Unit has managed tosuccessfully undertake tissue culture propagation of the non-dipterocarp species of teak, jelutong, sesenduk, khaya andacacia hybrids.

The Unit has the high-value timber species of Shorea inculture, but these, said biotechnologist Dr Kodi IsparanKandasamy at the Unit, are not yet ready for commercialisation.

The other often-quoted disadvantage of micro-cuttings andsomatic embryogenesis (the two methods used in tissue culturepropagation) is the high cost and level of expertise involved.

But Dr Kodi is quick to dismiss it. “It is not expensive whenyou are talking of mass propagation (at the rate mentionedabove),” he said. And people can be trained.

To date, some of the clients that have bought FRIM’s tissuecultured planting stock include Staedtler (M) Berhad (jelutong),the National Tobacco Council (acacia) and Koshii & Co. Ltd.(acacia hybrid). There are also negotiations for a Germanreforestation company to acquire various tissue-cultured plants.

Planting materials from tissue culture require careful

nursing during the transition from the lab to the nursery orfield. Some plants (as are most forest species) tend to beexceptionally sensitive to environmental changes, requiringhigh precision ‘weaning technologies’ for successfulacclimatisation and commercialisation of the plantlets.

These weaning technologies include temperature, humidity,carbon dioxide and light intensity controls. Dr Kodi said FRIMis working with a private company on tissue culture propagation,where the company will provide such precision engineeringfacilities in a specially built greenhouse at FRIM’s grounds.

Tissue culture systems are also a pre-requisite for any formof genetic engineering work as engineered cells would need tobe regenerated and mass-propagated for evaluation andsubsequent field planting.

For more information, contact Dr Kodi Isparan Kandasamy(kodiswaran@frim.gov.my)

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Bottled Botany... Karas tissue-cultured plants

Rooted cuttings of Shorea leprosula (top) ands i x - y e a r-old S. lepro s u l a trees grown from cuttings

11FRIM IN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

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WHEN trees fall sick, who doyou call? Disease-buster DrLee Su See, for one.

But if chasing away the insidiousghosts of illness is to be effective andleast costly, planters ought to seek adviceat the onset of plantation establishment –especially since monocultures are morevulnerable to disease outbreaks (andfires) as compared to natural forests.

“Often by the time we are notified ofabnormalities, it is already too late. Treemortality would be a given,” said Dr Leewho heads the Forest Pathology Unit atFRIM’s Forest Plantation Division.

Training plantation workers in theearly diagnosis of tree diseases is thusessential to nip pathological problems inthe bud, and stem the grief over needlessloss.

Thorough land clearing to removefungi-infected woody debris whensetting up plantations would be the bestapproach in preventing root diseases intrees (fungi, as opposed to bacteria orviruses, being the most common causeof tree ailments in plantations).

Otherwise fungicides, and control/management techniques like trench-digging, spacing and planting mixedspecies of varying disease susceptibilityto act as barriers to the spread of theinfection, would be needed. T h e s ewould be labour-intensive, thusincurring more costs.

The ultimate in disease controlwould be disease-resistant clones orprovenances. Now there is alsoexperimental work on genetically-modified trees for disease and insect-resistance, such as transgenic teak that isbeing trial planted in FRIM.

A constraint in local forest pathologyat present is the wide range of species(both indigenous and exotic) that need tobe studied, but with limited manpower(unlike single species research enjoyedby institutes like the Malaysian RubberBoard and the Malaysian Palm OilBoard).

Another difficulty is that credibledisease surveys require numerous, bigenough plantations as research sites.Such is not the case yet in Malaysia.

Current available data on diseases ofindigenous tree species are based onnatural, and not plantation forests, or onsmall plantation plots.

“Experimental sites are neededwhere pathogenicity studies can be doneunder plantation conditions. Now suchresearch have to be carried out innurseries and on juvenile plants, butextrapolating results from these tests canbe misleading,” said Dr Lee.

The move to establish more FRIMresearch field stations with areas setaside for forest pathology studies istherefore a step forward.

But these obstacles have not stoppedDr Lee from accumulating awards forher work such as the IUFRO ScientificAchievement Award in August, 2000 inrecognition of her contributions to forestpathology and dipterocarp mycorrhizalresearch.

Mycorrhizas are the modified rootsthat result from the symbiotic association

between fungi and the roots of trees,which enhances the uptake of water andnutrients, particularly phosphorus. Theyplay an important role in successfulseedling establishment of many plantsincluding those of dipterocarps,particularly in degraded soils.

With the move to establishplantations of indigenous forest trees,

Forest Pathology

Merit, Mushrooms & MaladiesHer re s e a rch on fungi and diseases of forest plantation trees has earned Dr Lee Su See accolades not least ofwhich is the 2000 International Union Of Forestry R e s e a rch Organizations Scientific Achievement Award

FRIM IN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 200212

Basking in scientific acclaim… Dr Lee makesher mark in ectomycorrhizal research

Taking root… Ectomycorrhizal rootof Hopea adorata – note the bright,yellow fungal structures on the rootsurface and the thread-like hyphaeextending out into the soil

Maggots they are not…Ectomycorrhizal root of Hopeaodorata – (Dipterocarpaceae)

Fungal-mentally dead… Ganoderma pseudofe r re u m f r u i t i n gon a dead A. mangium tree. This fungus is a root rot pathogenof many tree species, including rubber and Acacia spp.

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Forest Genetics

Encouraging Late BloomersEarly flowering is believed to be a major reason for forking in plantation teak trees. FRIM embarks on astudy to identify teak floral genes that can delay flowering time

TEAK trees planted outside their natural distribution tendto flower earlier – at two to four years compared to fiveor six years for naturally grown trees.

But precocious flowering, besides injury and disease, isthought to be a major cause of forking in teak. (And forking isbad news because it means shorter bole heights and lesspremium timber).

The first flowering occurs on the main shoot, whichundergoes dieback soon after. In order to continue growingnormally, two lateral buds at the base of the inflorescencedevelop to become leading shoots. These shoots develop atequal pace into branches, resulting in forking of the main stem.Early flowering also reduces vegetative growth, as floweringprocesses use up a lot of energy.

Genetically improved planting with ‘turned off’ or delayedflowering would thus be desirable for teak plantations.Understanding the function and interaction of the importantgenes involved in flowering pathways are hence necessary toidentify candidate genes that could possibly modify floweringtime in teak.

The isolation and cloning of teak floral genes are carriedout using several approaches. One approach is the constructionand screening of a teak genomic library to clone the promoterregion of teak floral genes.

A genomic library is a collection of genomic DNAfragments inserted into cloning vectors such as the Lambdabacteriophage (a bacterial virus). Genomic DNAisolated from

teak leaf tissue, is partially digested with a restriction enzyme.Digested fragments sized 15-23kb (kb refers to kilobase, ameasurement of DNAlength) are then cloned into the LambdaGEM vector. The genomic library produced is amplified toincrease the titer (the number of virus particles per millilitre ofsolution). A heterologous DNA probe is used to screen thelibrary.

Another approach is the construction and screening of acDNAlibrary.A cDNAlibrary is a collection of complimentaryDNAconverted from mRNA (messenger RNA) populations asa result of gene expressions in specific tissue.

Yet another approach is the construction of a subtractivelibrary, which is a collection of cDNA expressed in specifictissue, but not in others.

Two other approaches used are a modified version of therestriction fragment differential display to clone genes whichshare a common sequence or domain, and the reversetranscriptase–polymerase chain reaction method.

To date, the study has successfully isolated and clonedseveral partial floral genes of teak. From these partial genes,full-length genes will be isolated and cloned. These will laterbe tested for their expression in vitro (e.g. in yeast cultures) andthen transferred into plant model systems (e.g. Arabidopsis) tosee the effect of each gene on flowering time and flowerpatterns.

Information obtained from Mohd Rosli Haron (mrosli@frim.gov.my)

dipterocarp mycorrhizas for forest regeneration and recoverywould come in handy.

Dr Lee is currently the local project coordinator for theEuropean Union-funded study, Harnessing MycorrhizalSymbiosis In Mixed Dipterocarpaceae-Acacia Mangium ForestPlantations In Malaysia And The Philippines, collaboratingwith French, British, Finnish and Filipino scientists.

The study aims to see if degraded land such as tin tailings(more than 100,000 ha in Peninsular Malaysia) and non-productive grassland (17% of the total land area in thePhilippines) can be successfully rehabilitated with such asystem.

Other objectives are setting up an ectomycorrhizal fungalbank for South-East Asia and improving the technology formass production of ectomycorrhizal inoculum and theinoculation of dipterocarp cuttings in nurseries.

Dr Lee has also made significant contributions in thediseases of fast-growing A c a c i a s , being one of the keyresearchers to identify heart rot in Acacia mangium in the1980s, and later root rot in these species.

She has also helped establish, in collaboration with otherscientists, a comprehensive herbarium collection ofectomycorrhizal and wood decay fungi in FRIM. It is estimatedthat some 70% of Malaysian fungi have yet to be discovered.

The latest feather in her cap is winning a Fulbrightscholarship for a research stint (the detection and control of

Phytophthora and Phellinus root diseases) at Oregon StateUniversity in the United States, beginning this September.

Judging from Dr Lee’s merit-accruing career history,neither will it be her last.

FIF

FRIMIN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002 13

ERRATAOF FACTS gone mad, higher intelligence masquerading aswildlife and the environment, and scientific names with theiraffinity for all things Latin, being just Greek to some of us.

We’re referring to a heading in last issue’s FIF (Eco-Friendly Timber: Certifiable Facts) where the single quotes for‘Certifiable’ got lopped off, and a quote attributed to IsmailHarun (Are We Making The Grade?) where wildlife and theenvironment are exhorted to work with us to make sustainableforest management (SFM) work. What we meant is that weneed to keep these two aspects in mind in achievingsustainability.

As for nomenclature, names of species ought to beitalicised, but family names get normal treatment. So it’sCinnamomum spp. (page 12, column 1, paragraph six, line 2),but spp. of Sapotaceae (page 13, column 3, paragraph 3, line10). The miscommunication is regretted. FIF

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The Seed Plant Flora Of F raser’s Hill, Peninsular Malaysiaby Ruth Kiew; 1998/107 pages;RM 30/USD 30; Order Code:RP 121

Review by Robert R. De Wulf

FRASER’S HILL, greened largely with lower montaneforest, is a resort on the Main Range of PeninsularMalaysia, covering 2,804 ha of ridges and steep valleys

between 630 m and 1,460 m altitude.The area is under jurisdiction of the Fraser’s Hill

Development Corporation, but has no legal or permanentprotection. Its fate is thus mainly dependent on futuredevelopment of which its impact on the forest environment isbarely estimable.

The hill has a high conservation importance, with more than10% of Peninsular Malaysia’s flora, and many rare andendangered species. Also, its flora displays a unique combinationof phytogeographic links, due to its pivotal position on the MainRange. About 27% of the total flora of Fraser’s Hill is ofconservation concern.

The need for a research pamphlet such as this one is obvious:to draw attention to conservation values of unprotected forestareas. The author has attempted to fit the salient facts aboutFraser’s Hill in a small (14.5 x 21 cm) paperback in FRIM’sResearch Pamphlet series.

The bulk of this publication consists of a checklist of the seedplants of Fraser’s Hill, preceded by introductory chapters startingwith the brief account of the early history of botanical collectingat the hill.

The chapter of forest types and habitats documents thedifferent sites (a better word than ‘habitat’) and its characteristicspecies. But here a map of the area, featuring its location, themain forest types, and the places mentioned in the text, is sorelylacking.

The chapter on flora lists the seed plant flora according tototal number and endemism categorized over Gymnosperms,Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. An informative table on thelevel of endemism of families represented by more than 10species at Fraser’s Hill testifies to the conservation importance ofthe area.

A chapter on phytogeography frames the regional importanceof the area. Regretfully, the map depicting the distribution of theBurmese-Thai floristic zone has very poor information value.The chapter on phenology is based on the author’s fieldobservations between 1991 and 1995. This information willperhaps add to the limited knowledge of phenology in the forestsof Malesia, but is somewhat out of place in this researchpamphlet.

Of more importance is the chapter on the conservation statusof the species of Fraser’s Hill, which starts with a usefulclarification on the new categorisation (1994) of the IUCN RedList Categories, and a comparison with the older criteria anddesignations.

Saving Fraser’s HillAn example on how to compile critical data onvaluable forests outside protected areas, here is soliddata to promote the protection that Fraser’s Hilldeserves

State Samba: Brazil Scores In Conser vation

LOCAL governments often complain that having protectedareas in their territory makes them lose revenues they could

have obtained by taxing other land uses. Several Brazilian States,including Minas Gerais and Parana, have responded by creatinga special fund for municipalities with conservation areas tocompensate them for the lost revenue.

Ever since 1992, the State government of Parana has dividedup 2.5% of all the value added taxes it collects among the State’smunicipal governments based on how much conservation areathey have, and how well protected it is. Minas Gerais has madesimilar payments since 1996, but the State allocates the moneybased on the amount of land conserved, not the quality ofprotection. Half of all municipalities in Parana and one third ofthose in Minas Gerais currently receive such payments, whichthey can use however they want.

As a result of these programmes, many local gove rn m e n t sn ow a c t u a l ly want to enlarge the area devoted to conserva t i o n .Since the programmes started, conservation areas have increased165% in Parana and 62% in Minas Gerais. – Fo rest Po l i c yE x p e rt s ,C I F O R

Kiwis’ Skid Site Safety System

THE Kiwis have come up with an improved system to reduceinjuries at skid sites from rolling logs and machinery.

Hooking a computer to a rear vision video camera inside a BellLogger cabin, the system helps operators to detect peopleworking around them when a visual or audible warning isactivated as the camera picks up data on people wearing highvisibility clothing. Forestry work is deemed among the mostdangerous of occupations, with log processing skid site accidentscontributing to most injuries. – Industrial Research Limited

Community Forests: Asian Stories

OVER the last two decades, a number of Asian countries havemade widely celebrated reforms designed to give local

people greater rights and responsibilities over forests. Joint forest management in India, community forestry in

Nepal, the household responsibility system in China andcommunity-based natural resource management in thePhilippines, are examples.

However, government forestry departments have retainedcontrol over key decisions and kept the best forests fort h e m s e l ves. High taxes, market controls, and licensingrequirements have limited poor people’s earnings. Local eliteshave captured many of the benefits and poor households oftendon’t dare to object.

Many forestry officials defend their actions by arguing thatvillagers do not take good care of forests and use these argumentsas an excuse to protect their privileges and sources of income,rather than looking for creative ways to strengthen local capacity.Poor forest users have fared better when built alliances withNGOs and sympathetic gove rnment officials and donors.National and regional organisations of forests users andsmallholders in India, Nepal, and the Philippines madesignificant headway by protesting, lobbying, and taking theircase to the courts and the media. – Forest Policy Experts,CIFOR

News Briefs

The Grapevine

More on next pageFIF

14 FRIM INFOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

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Of considerable conservation interest are the ensuing tables listing endangered taxa found atFraser’s Hill. The present status of the flora is documented in a separate chapter, featuring again arather poorly edited map.

The author rightfully points to the value of computerized herbarium databases to aid incompiling checklists. The research pamphlet concludes with 15 pages of full colour photographs.For a research pamphlet, this pictorial addition of such a high quality is certainly uncommon.

Tables are crammed with information, but larger print would render them more readable. Itis also unclear why no effort was taken to number chapters and paragraphs.

This research pamphlet will be of immediate interest to those with a conservation interestin the Indo-Malayan realm, serving as a useful example on how to compile critical data onvaluable forests outside protected areas.

De Wulf is from the Department Of Forest And Water Management, University Of Ghent inBelgium

A Forest In The Windows:The Story Of How KLIA ’sSpecial Forests Were Crafted by Louis Ratnam and Mohd.Afendi Hussin; 2000/119 pages; RM 50/USD 50; OrderCode: KLIA

Review by Dr Gary Theseir a

WHILE the concept of a forest ecosystem behind glass isnot a new one, the construction of such a self-sustaining entity within the confines of a glass, steel

and concrete edifice raised unique and complex problems. Unlike the usual glass house or conservatory, which tolerates,

indeed requires, frequent intervention andmaintenance, designing a balanced ands e l f - p e rpetuating ecosystem presents afar greater challenge.

To do so in a completed airp o rt wo u l dbe virtually impossible. Fortunately, theconcurrent construction of both thea i rp o rt and forest seemed to bem u t u a l ly benef icial (or at leastmutually non-disruptive) to both.

The book is a pictorialchronology of events, addressingproblems of spatial logistics, treeacclimatisation, water andnutrient supply and theimportance of ecosystem factorssuch as soil compaction andweed competition.

The pictures and captionsdescribing tree preparationand relocation areparticularly comprehensive.So, too, details on thefoundation technolog i e sneeded to ‘float’ asubstrate of living soilabove a baggage handling facility andthe need to protect the infrastructure from theforest and vice versa.

Presented in great detail is the section describing thepreparation, and filling of the area designated as the new ‘forestsoil’, and final placement of the trees in their new home.

The book does not shy away from lessons learned along theway. Novel methods of tree transportation (when a proper craneis not available) and backfill planting (when trees begin arrivingeven as the soil substrate is being constructed) are presented withgrace and aplomb.

The first appendix lists the 32 species of tree, 24 species ofpalm and bamboo and 39 species of shrub and fern (all counted,4,450 plants) used in the project.

Unfortunately, some of the common names of the shrubs andferns are incorrectly listed, detracting from an otherwise usefulfeature for those seeking ideas for stocking their own ‘forest in

the windows’. The second raises some ideas ofpossible ecosystems that FRIM might

set its sights on as futureconstruction projects.

While not by any meansa technical manual on

ecosystem construction, thebook neve rtheless should

rank high on the list ofanyone wishing to embark on

a project involving ‘instantt r e e s ’ or ‘constru c t e d

ecosystems’, with the do’s andd o n ’ts of building your ow n

ecosystem coming across loudand clear.

Dr T h e s e i ra is from theEcophysiology Unit at FRIM’s Forest

Plantation Division *Among key FRIM officers involved

were project head Dr Zakaria Ibrahim,Rosslan Yaacob, Mohd. Afendi Hussin

and Khairiri Abu Bakar

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From previous page

15FRIMIN FOCUS ● July ● August ● September 2002

How An Airport Grew A ForestIn 1995, FRIM was commissioned to set up a forest environment within the premises of the KualaLumpur International Airport. This is a pictorial documentation of the flagship project*

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INTENT on proving itself a good corporate citizen, theSony group of companies in Malaysia last June had 400 ofits staff plant 90 trees at FRIM and clean up its grounds,

gotong-royong style.Some 50 FRIM employees chipped in with the community

project, held in conjunction with World Environment Day onJune 5.

The event also saw 40 orphans from the Darul KhifayahOrphanage in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur treated to lunch, anature walk and the presence of local artiste Amy Masturawho witnessed the teenagers’ efforts at creativity in an artcompetition. They also attended a nature talk and quiz.

All work and no play would make FRIM staff a dull lot.And so, later that month, to the beat of Hindi bhangra and

songs of lilting Malay, they went through the paces in ap l e a s a n t ly mild aerobics session. Twe n t y - fiveyoungsters from the Special Olympics Association ofSelangor and Kuala Lumpur also joined in the fun,taking to the morning wake-up call with unabashedgusto.

They were participating in the Malaysian NatureSociety (MNS)’s nature education programme whichincluded nature walks, a scavenger hunt, learning aboutstream ecology, an overnight camp the night before,and stargazing.

The programme is sponsored by Shell Malaysia andwas held in conjunction with a MOU signing ceremonybetween MNS, FRIM and Shell to further develop theirpartnership in managing the Nature Education Centre(NEC) in FRIM.

The NEC develops nature appreciation packagesfor students, teachers, the corporate sector and thepublic. For more information about NEC’s activities,contact Gary Lim at natsoc@po.jaring.my or call himat 03-62771703. You can also write to MNS at P.O. Box10750, 50724, Kuala Lumpur.

Grin and Green… Japanese students on tour stopped over at FRIM to do a bit oftree planting earlier this year

FIFJAAFARAHMAD

Cleaning Up Our Act, Working Up A Sweat

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