Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
15.2
Species Selection in Plantations in the Philippines
Species commonly used in reforestation is surprisingly few considering the abun-
dance of commercially valuable species used by the wood industry. The popular-
ity of exotic trees in the Philippines as a reforestation species dates back when
reforestation started early in the 20th century. Data from the Reforestation
Division of the Forest Management Bureau (2000) immediately confirms this
assertion. Of the top ten species planted in reforestation projects around the coun-
try, eight are exotics and only two are ITS (Fig. 15.1). Mahogany ( Swietenia
macrophylla ) and gmelina ( Gmelina arborea ) are among the dominant exotic
trees planted. Narra ( Pterocarpus indicus ), a common ITS, comes as a close sec-
ond. Another ITS, agoho ( Casuarina equisetifolia ) ranked seventh among the
commonly planted species.
Reports on the plantations of private concessionaires showed a similar pattern:
Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) Resources Inc. (Surigao
del Sur Mindanao) have plantations of more than 40,000 ha planted mainly to
70,000.00
60,000.00
50,000.00
40,000.00
30,000.00
20,000.00
10,000.00
-
Fig. 15.1 Top ten species planted in reforestation projects in the Philippines, including (from left
to right) Swietenia macrophylla , Pterocarpus indicus , Gmelina arborea , Tectona grandis , Acacia
spp., Paraserianthes falcataria , Casuarina equisetifolia , Samanea saman , Terminalia catappa ,
and Eucalyptus spp. (Forest Management Bureau 2000)
 
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