An Ecological and Economic Assessment of the Nontimber Forest Product Gaharu Wood in Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Ecological and economic data are essential to the identification of tropical nontimber forest products with the potential for sustainable and profitable extraction in a managed system. We studied the demographic effect and economic returns of harvesting aromatic gaharu wood from fungus‐infected trees of Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. at Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesia, to evaluate the management potential of gaharu wood. Aquilaria malaccensis trees openface> 20 cm in diameter occurred at low preharvest densities (0.16–0.32 ha) but were distributed across five of six forest types surveyed. During a recent harvest, 75% of trees were felled, with harvest intensities ranging from 50% to 100% among forest types. Overall, 50% of trees contained gaharu wood, but trees at higher elevations contained gaharu wood more frequently ( 73%) than trees at lower elevation (27%). The mean density of regeneration ( juveniles> 15 cm in height) near adult trees (3–7 m away) was 0.2/m2, 200 times greater than at random in the forest (10/ha), but long‐term data on growth and survivorship are needed to determine whether regeneration is sufficient for population recovery. Gaharu wood extraction from Gunung Palung was very profitable for collectors, generating an estimated gross financial return per day of US $8.80, triple the mean village wage. Yet, the estimated sustainable harvest of gaharu wood at natural tree densities generates a mean net present value of only $10.83/ha, much lower than that of commercial timber harvesting, the dominant forest use in Kalimantan. Returns per unit area could be improved substantially, however, by implementing known silvicultural methods to increase tree densities, increase the proportion of trees that produce gaharu wood, and shorten the time interval between successive harvests. The economic potential of gaharu wood is unusual among nontimber forest products and justifies experimental trials to develop small‐scale cultivation methods.

History of Use and Trade of Agarwood

“…The resin, is widely used for the production of incense and perfume (essential oils) and for medical purposes (Mohamed and Lee 2016;Rhind 2014). The valuable resin develops and accumulates in the stem and branches of the tree after a process of injury and fungal infection (Bose 1938;Donovan and Puri 2004;Rasool and Mohamed 2016;Sangareswari et al 2016), but this process occurs in only a few trees in wild populations (Ng et al 1997;Paoli et al 2001). The demand for and trade in agarwood continues today, and with increasing wealth in consumer countries over recent decades, demand exceeds supply (Barden et al 2000;Chakrabarty et al 1994;Compton and Ishihara 2006).…”

Rantai Pasokan Produk Tumbuhan Gaharu (Aquilaria spp.) asal Merauke, Papua

“…Hal ini terlihat juga pada model perendaman bambu di kolam/aliran sungai dengan maksud lebih meningkatkan daya awet bambu. Paoli et al (2001) menyatakan bahwa A. malaccensis dapat tumbuh pada tipe tanah yang beragam, mulai dari daerah rawa air tawar (freshwater swamp), tanah aluvial (alluvial bench), dataran rendah berpasir (lowland sandstone), tanah granite (lowland granite) hingga daerah pegunungan bawah (lower montane).…”

Efeitos ecológicos da exploração de produtos florestais não madeireiros: uma revisão sistemática

“…Efeitos negativos também ocorreram com a coleta de sementes, pelo aumento da caça de animais dispersores, atividade que costuma acompanhar o extrativismo (Forget & Jansen, 2007). Contudo, para a extração de compostos secundários, a única evidência existente apenas argumenta que a probabilidade da extração afetar outras espécies é pequena, sem na verdade levantar dados diretos neste sentido (Paoli et al, 2001). No caso, o resultado nulo ocorreria, pois a proporção de biomassa retirada da floresta e os métodos de coleta não alteravam condições locais.…”