Introduction
Teak (Tectona grandis) is one of the world's
premier hardwood timbers, rightly famous for its mellow color,
fine grain and durability. It occurs naturally only in India,
Myanmar, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thailand,
and it is naturalized in Java, Indonesia, where it was probably
introduced some 400 to 600 years ago. In addition, it has
been established throughout tropical Asia, as well as in tropical
Africa (including Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
the United Republic of Tanzania and Togo) and Latin America
and the Caribbean (Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Panama, Trinidad, Tobago and Venezuela). Teak has also been
introduced in some islands in the Pacific region (Papua New
Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands) and in northern Australia
at trial levels.
Although teak logs harvested from native forests,
principally in India and Myanmar, are major contributors to
the global timber trade as well as to domestic markets, the
supply of forest logs from these countries is becoming progressively
restricted. In Thailand, harvesting of teak, along with other
native forest species, has been prohibited since 1989, while
in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, supplies have been
severely constrained pending a reassessment of harvest potentials.
Thus in long-established and substantial markets for teak
products, such as Thailand, Singapore and China, there is
major concern regarding the future supply of teak. Plantations
are an important potential source of timber to narrow the
growing gap between supply and demand for teak.
The durability and workability of teak was recognized
many centuries ago, leading to its relatively widespread distribution
and cultivation throughout the tropics. Today, teak ranks
among the top five tropical hardwood species in terms of plantation
area established worldwide.
Although teak plantations date back as far as
150 years in India and Myanmar, plantation establishment has
accelerated over the past 20 years. Teak plantations have
demonstrated good potential. With the decreasing availability
of teak from natural forests, plantations are an increasingly
important source of timber to meet the demand. In the future,
plantations will probably be the most important sources of
teak. As demand for plantation-grown teak grows, the private
sector has increasingly become involved in plantations.
The lessons that can be drawn from teak are relevant
also to other tropical hardwood species such as mahogany (Swietenia
Macrophylla), red cedar (Cedrela Odorata) and rosewood (Dalbergia
sissoo). All of these compete in high-value niche markets
and present similar environmental concerns associated with
harvesting from tropical forests.
Properly done teak plantations are socially and
environmentally beneficial in addition to being very profitable.
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