Panama vs Costa Rica: Reforestation – Reforestation The Role You Can Play and How You Can Benefit

Deforestation in Indonesia:Tags: teak, paulownia, FAO, reforestation, Costa Rica, Panama, Myrnamar, ENOCIS, Enoch Oling College, PanAmerican Properties

In an article in Newsday, Edward A. Gargan, says that in Bangsri, Indonesia has the last great teakwood forest. The wood ends up in places like Abdul Jambari's garden furniture workshop. For about $100, Jambari's chair will sit on a patio or deck somewhere in the United States or Europe. But that chair and the 4,000 others that are part of Jambari's latest export shipment, have left behind a swath of utter devastation, one of thousands that afflict this archipelago and spell the end of the majestic forests that once blanketed Indonesia.

Their disappearance also means the extinction of innumerable animal and plant species indigenous to this country. One-tenth of the tropical forests are located in Indonesia. In an unpublished report, the World Bank found that all the lowland forests in one of Indonesia's largest islands, Sumatra, will be extinct this decade, and that unless the government acts immediately to stop rampant illegal logging, "the only extensive forests that will remain in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Selawesi in the second decade of the new millennium will be the low-stature forests of the mountains."

Deforestation in Costa Rica:

In Costa Rica, people have denuded the forests to provide pastureland for cattle ranching. Pristine forests fell to make way for a world-wide demand for beef. Since the end of World War II, approximately 80% of the forests of Costa Rica have disappeared. Many people considered bananas or coffee, or even sugar cane, as the prime exports of Costa Rica. Sadly, the fact became apparent that top soil, the very life source to Costa Rica's agriculture, was becoming the prime export. Down from the denuded hills into the streams and out to the oceans, top soil was disappearing from the land mass, year after year. The deforestation of tropical rain forests is a threat to life worldwide. Deforestation has profound effects on global climate and causes the extinction of thousands of species annually. Stopping deforestation in the tropics has become an international movement and has promoted the search for ways to reverse its effects.

Reforestation in Central America:

The Costa Rican government, in a typically pragmatic approach to the problem, has offered excellent incentives for those interested parties who wish to assist in the reversal of the denuding of the country. The Forestry Law of Costa Rica, Article #70, recognizes Investor Status, for the development of reforestation projects, to any person who invests a minimum amount of US$100,000.00 to apply for "Permanent Resident Investor Status" in Costa Rica.

The individual must be present in Costa Rica for a minimum of one day each year to have their 'Cedula' (ID card) stamped, but the investor has the right to live and work in Costa Rica. The spouse and any children under the age of 18 have the right to live in Costa Rica (as well as children under age 25 if full time students and living with cedula holder). In addition it is granting tax free returns of dividends.

The Republic of Panama offers similar migratory status for investors of reforestation in that country.

It is a real win-win situation. The hills that covered with forests today were bare 10 years ago. Now they are green again growing a profit-crop for everybody.

Why Not Teak

Despite all of the above positive facts Teak reforestation continues to suffer a bad reputation in certain un-informed circles. The bad reputation can be traced to the early and mid 1970's when promoters were projecting unrealistic growth projections coupled with unrealistic prices. In an article of Dr. Raymond Keogh in Teak he says: "Growth rates which exceed an average of twenty cubic meters per hectare per year in twenty years are unlikely to be encountered".

But Teak has been particularly favored as the type of tree to use in plantations for various reasons: it grows fast; it has a worldwide reputation as a species, and few if any natural enemies. Teak does not support combustion (won't burn) and there is rapid growth in demand and price.

Costa Rica has a number of conditions that lend itself to the growing of teak such as the perfect climate with a pronounced dry season and a reliable rainy season which are both required for the growth of ideal teak, an excellent labor force, excellent Forestry Engineers who are all Government qualified, stable Government which ensures the viability of the growth. The perfect plantation sites for teak reforestation are found on those soils worn out by overgrazing cattle. Land and soil which has suffered many years of constant use and possible abuse and can no longer support a walking crop lends itself perfectly to site preparation for long term teak growing.

No longer can a person consider the merits of 100 year old teak versus plantation teak. Doing so would be a case of comparing the unobtainable to the available.

Intensification of teak plantations

The rotation of new high-intensity teak plantations is generally between 20 and 25 years (Torres, 1999; Ugalde Arias and Pérez Cordero, 1999), which is three to four times shorter than for older low-intensity plantations. The expected mean annual increment (MAI) is more than 10 m3 per hectare per year (as compared with 3 to 8 m3 per hectare per year in low-intensity plantations on good sites) (Subramanian et al., 1999; Maitre, 1983). With intensive management, there is growing concern about the adverse effects of short-rotation monoculture, particularly on the environmental and productive sustainability of successive rotations with high nutrient uptake. The decline in productivity during the second rotation was already an important concern many decades ago (Blanford, 1933; Davis, 1940). The evidence suggests that this is most often a result of the failure to implement various prescriptions (Evans, 1999).

Nevertheless, the current intensification calls for more studies on soil properties, nutrient cycles and possible impacts on productivity. Other concerns related to intensive management include the narrowing of the genetic base in production stands and its consequences for long-term productivity, and environmental impacts of application of fertilizers and pesticides. Growth rates and yield under different conditions and treatments are of particular interest, particularly in the context of increasing investment in teak and unrealistic claims of productivity (Gangopa-dhyay, 1997).

Expansion of teak to areas with diverse ecological conditions

Many of the new high-intensity plantations are in areas that would have been considered marginal for teak growing two decades ago. Some plantation sites in Latin America are in areas with extremely high rainfall (over 4 000 mm per year) and no or very slight dry seasons. These conditions are not found in the natural range of distribution of the species but seem favorable to its growth. However, as most research has been done in other areas, new problems could be encountered.

Particular attention to pest and disease monitoring is especially called for in plantations newly established in ecological conditions that are marginal for the species. In Côte d'Ivoire, for example, root rot disease caused important damage in a young plantation at the limit between the evergreen and the mixed deciduous forest zones. This type of problem could be related to environmental factors but could also result from inadequate silvicultural practices (lack of thinning). Pest and disease problems may be aggravated by the low level of genetic diversity of the selected planting material used in high-yielding plantations. Integrated pest management (IPM) research is thus indispensable to expanding the frontier of teak planting, as well as additional research on provenance or genetic material and site matching.

Marketing in a global economy

A related issue is marketing of teak wood, especially in the context of the emergence of new production centers and, more important, the growth of farm planting. No systematic studies are available on the future demand for teak, specifically taking into account the potential changes in consumption pattern, including the potential for substitution. There is also an urgent need to develop information systems that focus on assessing and analyzing supply, demand, prices, etc. and that make the information accessible to those involved in cultivation, processing and marketing of teak wood. (C.T.S. Nair and O. Souvannavong C.T.S. Nair is Senior Forestry Officer in the Forestry Planning and Statistics Branch, FAO Forestry Department. Oudara Souvannavong is Senior Forestry Officer in the Forest Conservation, Research and Education Service, FAO Forestry Department.)

A Viable Alternative: Paulownia Elongata

With an extraordinary growth rate and huge air filtering leaves that convert carbon into oxygen at a higher rate than almost any other tree, Royal Empress Trees are rapidly becoming an important part of the solution to reducing our impact on the Earth.

Paulownia trees are your best choice for a fast growing, beautiful tree that is unsurpassed in its ability to help our environment simply by growing.

Lumber from Paulownia trees has been greatly revered in Japan and China for centuries. With the decline of our native forests to the lumber industry, Paulownia trees have come into the spotlight worldwide for their ability to produce high quality timber at a much faster rate than any other hardwood tree.

Environmental Qualities for Micro Industry:

Growth Rate

· Grows 10-15 feet a year

· Can grow to a harvestable sized timber tree in 7-10 years.

Regeneration

· Tree should be cut back to the ground in early spring of year two for even faster growth.

· Paulownia trees can regenerate up to 7 times from 1 stump.

Animal Fodder

· The leaves of the Paulownia are high in protein (21%) and nutrients, providing a good fodder for livestock.

Intercropping

· Paulownia trees are excellent for intercropping (growing different crops together in same field). They are used widely in China by farmers who plant them in the fields and grow grain crops beneath them. The trees roots go very deep and do not compete with the crops for water and nutrients.

· Grain crops planted beneath Paulownia trees have a higher yield because the trees improve the climate and reduce the damaging effects of strong winds.

· When the leaves drop they decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the soil.

· After 8-10 years the trees can be cut for timber and become an added income for the farmers. They will regenerate again from the cut stumps, saving the cost of replanting the fields.

· In China, paulownia trees are being used successfully in agroforestry projects and for intercropping with agricultural crops on close to 5 million acres of farmland.

Environmental Qualities and Statistics of Paulownia Trees:

Paulownia is truly a remarkable solution to some of the world's most pressing social, environmental and economic problems holding a record of 31 feet in 7 months.

Paulownia grows successfully in many regions of the world and has found many friends over the last ten years since it became accessible. It is widely used to beautify cities and proven to reduce air pollution especially CO2. It is highly sought after as it is considered to bring good luck where ever it is planted.

· Each tree removes 48 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. (115,200 lbs. per acre per year)

· Each tree releases about 13 lbs. of oxygen per day. (31,200 lbs. per acre per day)

· Each acre of trees will scrub 13 tons of harmful CO2, gases and dust from the air per year.

· Each tree can absorb 24 gallons of wastewater per day. (57,600 gallons per acre per day)

· Gentle on the earth, few surface roots, long taproot that helps to lower water table and prevent salinity. A very clean tree, no berries, no sap drop, drops its leaves in autumn and they disintegrate within a few days.

· Non evasive water sensitive root systems.

· Public Health Benefit - CSIRO studies confirm eucalyptus react with pollution causing problems for asthma sufferers. Paulownia absorbs more pollution and has a very low pollen count.

· The paulownia has a beautiful flower in the fall generally a lavender color it is eatable and has medicinal qualities known for it association with the lungs. Mix with protein foods for a cure for bronchitis and many other lung associated problems.

Conclusion: Although Teak attractive production numbers per hectare and reasonable financial return for managed forests paulownia is a better financial investment and proves to be beneficial instead of detrimental to the environment.

The rotation of new high-intensity teak plantations is generally between 20 and 25 years (Torres, 1999; Ugalde Arias and Pérez Cordero, 1999), which is three to four times shorter than for older low-intensity plantations. The expected mean annual increment (MAI) is more than 10 m3 per hectare per year (as compared with 3 to 8 m3 per hectare per year in low-intensity plantations on good sites) (Subramanian et al., 1999; Maitre, 1983). With intensive management, there is growing concern about the adverse effects of short-rotation monoculture, particularly on the environmental and productive sustainability of successive rotations with high nutrient uptake. The decline in productivity during the second rotation was already an important concern many decades ago (Blanford, 1933; Davis, 1940).

Paulownia elongata every ten years can produce approximately 680 cubic meters of lumber every ten years while teak takes 20-25 years to produce approximately 380 cubic meters of lumber in twice the time. The current and present world market price for paulownia is higher than that of teak.

After selective harvesting of teak there will be a new expense for replanting, not so for paulownia elongata not to speak of the related environmental benefits.

If you would like further information on paulownia elongata in Panama, it’s environmental and investment benefits, reforestation and investment incentives offered by the Government of Panama you might want to contact PanAmerican Properties, Inc or look at their paulownia web site www.paulownianow.org and how they are working with the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) Panama and the underserved populations of the country to offer new socio and economic opportunities for the neediest sectors of Panamanian society.

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