Forest Management and Fragmentation in Tropical Forest

1
Forest Management and Fragmentation in Tropical
Forest

• Dr Shamsudin Ibrahim
• Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109,
  Kepong, Selangor

2
Outline of presentation

• Forest management practices in Malaysia
• Common issues related to logging of natural
  forest
• Forest management Fragmentation. Is the present
  forest management is a causal factor of
  fragmentation of tropical forest ecosystem ???
• What will be the impact of logging at a smaller
  unit area with regards to the distribution
  pattern of tree species in the forest

3
Forest management practices in Malaysia

• The focus will be in Peninsular Malaysia
• History of the forest management system
• The extent of the resource
• Logging practices
• Silvicultural treatments after logging

4
History of forest management

• Malayan Uniform Syatem (MUS), formulated in 1949
• What is MUS
• removal of the mature crops in one single
  felling of all trees down to 45 cm diameter at
  breast height (dbh) for all species, followed by
  releasing selected natural regeneration mainly
  the light demanding of medium and light hardwood
  species

5
What is MUS .(cont)

• Felling operation is normally followed by
  climber cutting and poison-girdling of defective
  relics and non-commercial species down to 15 cm
  dbh
• 5-7 years after felling a linear strip sampling
  is carried out to determine the present and
  status of regeneration
• MUS is a system of converting a rich,
  multi-species multi-aged forest to even-aged
  forest of commercial species

6
The success of MUS depends on eight critical
factors

• Abundant and evenly distributed seed supply of
  economic species
• Viability of seed
• Conditions that are favourable for seed
  germination
• Conditions that are favourable for seedling
  growth
• Complete removal of canopy through
  poison-girdling down to 15 cm dbh
• Removal of climber
• Adequate canopy removal to allow maximum growth
  of seedlings but prevent re-growth of climbers
  and other competing weeds and
• Regular assessment on the status of regeneration
  on the ground

7
The success of MUS. (cont)

• The system was found to be successfully applied
  in lowland dipterocarp forest but not in hill
  dipterocarp forest
• In late 1970s, Peninsula Malaysia experienced
  massive land development program for food and
  other agricultural crops. The program aimed
  primarily to upgrade social-economic status of
  the country through well planned integrated
  land development schemes
• As a result, most of the rich lowland forest was
  cleared and developed for various land
  development schemes and
• What is left is only hill dipterocarp forest
  which is not suitable for other land uses, except
  to be kept under forest cover.

8
The application of MUS in hill forest

• The application failed because of the following
  reasons
• Difficult terrain
• Eneven stocking
• Lack of natural regeneration on the forest floor
  before logging
• Irregularity in flowering and fruiting of
  commercial tree species
• Heavy seedling mortality on slope during
  harvesting
• High risk of erosion following harvesting
• High incidence of Eugeissona triste due to canopy
  opening after logging and
• Not possible to delay harvesting due to
  inadequate regeneration because of high demand
  for timber

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We are realized that in hill forest.

• Mixed forest crop offers the best cover for soil
  and water protection
• Wood based industries have the capacity to
  utilise a wider spectrum of timber species
  instead of just concentrating only on a few
  commercial timber species and
• The issue of biodiversity has to be incorporated
  into policies and strategies of hill forest
  management.

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How old it would be ?????
A typical hill forest in Peninsular Malaysia. A
gigantic Shorea curtisii in association with E.
triste
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We are also realized that in hill
forest..(cont)

• Managing on a monocyclic approach may not be
  financially and economically attractive and
• Since the resource base has been reduced, the
  output can be increased through a shortened
  rotation period.

12
Selective Management System (SMS)

• The system introduced in 1978 to allow for
  flexible timber harvesting regimes in hill
  dipterocarp forest
• Discouraged poison-girdling of uncommercial
  timber species. The system promotes biodiversity
  conservation.

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SMS was evolved to meet the following requirements

• Flexibility to manage the highly variable forest
  conditions
• Rationally based on the inherent characteristics
  of the forest and
• Allow for the optimization of forest management
  goals through
• An economic cut
• Sustainability of the forest and
• Minimum cost of forest development

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Under SMS.

• Felling regimes are based on inventory data to
  ensure
• An economic cut
• Sustainability of the forest and
• Minimum cost of forest development
• Cutting cycle is very much shortened (30 years
  compared to 55 years for MUS)
• Advance growth is a bonus under MUS but become
  the main crop under SMS. Therefore if advance
  growth is inadequate under SMS, planting program
  will be undertaken and the rotation will be
  lengthened.

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The success of SMS depends on the following
assumptions.

• Diameter growth ranges between 0.75 to 1.0 cm
  year-1
• Gross volume growth 3m3 ha-1 year-1
• Annual mortality 0.9
• Annual ingrowth 0.6

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Forest management practices in Malaysia

• The focus will be in Peninsular Malaysia
• History of the forest management system
• The extent of the resource
• Logging practices
• Silvicultural treatments after logging

17
Malaysia Forest Resources

• At the end of 2004
• Total forest area 19.54 million ha (59.5)
• Peninsular - 5.89 million ha
• Sabah - 4.41 million ha
• Sarawak - 9.24 million ha

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Malaysia Forest Resources
Distribution and Extent of Major Forests Types
in Malaysia
Dipterocarp Forest
17.13 mil. ha (87.6)
Peat Swamp Forest
1.54 mil. ha (7.2)
Mangrove Forest
0.60 mil. ha (2.9)
0.27mil. ha (1.2)
Plantation Forest
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Malaysia Forest Resources
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Protection Forest
Production Forest

• to ensure favourable climatic and physical
  conditions of the country
• safeguarding of water resources
• soil fertility
• environmental quality
• conservation of biological diversity
• minimization of damage by floods and erosion

• to ensure the supply in perpetuity at reasonable
  levels of all forms of forest produce which can
  be economically produce within the country and
  are required for agricultural, domestic,
  industrial purposes and export

21
Forest management practices in Malaysia

• The focus will be in Peninsular Malaysia
• History of the forest management system
• The extent of the resource
• Logging practices
• Silvicultural treatments after logging

22
Logging practices.(cont)

• Dipterocarp forest
• Peat swamp forest
• mangroves

23
Logging practices in dipterocarp forest
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Logging practices. (cont)

• Logging road built within the concession area
• Does it causes fragmentation

25
Logging practices . (cont)

• A typical temporary log landing site in the
  forest
• Does it causes fragmentation

26
Logging practices (cont)

• A typical felling and extraction damage during
  harvesting
• Does it causes fragmentation

27
Logging practices. (cont)
Forest recovery after 5 years of logging
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Logging practices in peat swamp forest
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Logging practices in peat swamp forest
Logging roads are constructed in peat swamp forest
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Forest fire in peat swamp forest
Forest fire can be extensive and may create
fragmentation to forest ecosystem
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Forest fire may lead to changing landscape in
peat swamp forest

• Changing landscape acts as a form of
  fragmentation in peat swamp forest
• The recovery process is extremely very slow
• Permanent displacement of flora and fauna is
  possible

32
Logging in mangroves
A small strip of not more than 4 ha is being
clear-felled during harvesting
33
Recovery process after harvesting in mangroves

• This is done through enrichment planting programs
  carried out immediately after harvesting

34
Mangroves recovered after harvesting

• A visit to an area where mangrove was partially
  recovered after harvesting
• Fragmentation of the ecosystem is minimal

35
Logging practices.. (cont)

• A question that need to be answered
• Does logging practices lead to forest
  fragmentation ?????. I would like this to be
  discussed and elaborated by the workshop
  participants and find a reasonable explanation to
  the question posed.

36
Forest management practices in Malaysia

• The focus will be in Peninsular Malaysia
• History of the forest management system
• The extent of the resource
• Logging practices
• Silvicultural treatments after logging

37
Silvicultural treatments after logging.

• Treatments will be prescribed based on
  post-felling inventory. The inventory should be
  done at least two years after harvesting, and the
  next inventory ten years after treatments are
  given.
• It is important to ensure that the crop of the
  next cut contain adequate stocking of dipterocarp.

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Outline of presentation

• Forest management practices in Malaysia
• Common issues related to logging of natural
  forest
• Forest management Fragmentation. Is the present
  forest management is a causal factor of
  fragmentation of forest ecosystem ???
• What will be the impact of logging at a smaller
  unit area with regards to the distribution
  pattern of tree species in the forest

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Impacts of logging at a smaller unit level

• Distribution patterns of tree species will be
  disrupted. Some species, like Shorea curtisii,
  Shorea platyclados, and Gonystylus bancanus have
  clumping of individuals within the population
• After logging, the individuals are far apart. Is
  the distance between individuals critical to
  reproductive biology of tree species in tropical
  forest. Can the pollinator travel over a longer
  distance.

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• THANK YOU

Dr Shamsudin Ibrahim Forest Research Institute
Malaysia, 52109, Kepong Selangor, Malaysia