The 180 Indonesian timber species include 11 PSF species used for the production of furniture because of the attractiveness and/or fine grain of their wood. Wood
from two species of the mango family Anacardiaceae, Gluta renghas and Gluta
wallichii, must be cured for a long time before use, as their wood and other parts
contain a highly irritating sap that causes severe blistering. However, the wood of
both is very attractive and durable, and hence sought after. Two ebony species,
Diospyros buxifolia and Diospyros macrophylla, are also very attractive, and albeit
not very durable, their use for furniture is undisputed. Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus)
is a widely sought species because of its fine grain and light color, mainly for the
furniture industry, but it is not very durable. Because of habitat loss and being
excessively sought after, large specimens are now difficult to come by, and the
species has been placed on CITES Appendix 1. Tapang (Koompassia malaccensis)
is a very large, emergent tree that is often not felled as the wood is too hard for
sawing and fibrous. However, it is used for making table-tops, but this requires a
long process of planing and sanding.
Some species do not have a constant quality rating throughout their range and
may be found to be of good quality in some areas and only of fair quality in others.
An example of this is Fagraea fragrans (Gentianaceae family, commonly known as
tembesu), which is a fragrant and highly durable timber when harvested from (peat)
swamps but is found to be much less durable when grown in dryland areas, where it
can also grow. Also, some peat swamp species that are rated to have poor to fair
timber have been re-assessed as new markets emerge. An example of the latter is
ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), which was initially (prior to the 1980s) not harvested
and even ring-barked but was later recognized as having an excellent and highly
valued timber for furniture.
14.4.2 Species for Making Pulp and Paper
The bulk of pulp production on peat soil in Indonesia mainly involves the planting of
red wattle (Acacia crassicarpa Benth.), native to the island of New Guinea and
northern Australia (Queensland), where it naturally grows in savannas and woodland
on flats dominated by Melaleuca and Tristania (Nielsen 1992). Acacia crassicarpa
can achieve very high growth rates on drained peatland and a harvestable size after
only 4–5 years with production rates of 25 m
3 /ha/y. The downside is that this species
requires drainage and groundwater levels (GWLs) of 60–65 cm below the surface,
otherwise it will suffer from root rot, fungal infection, and toppling/leaning of trees if
GWLs are high (APP, personal communication, 2016).
Other species have also been tried on drained peatland, but Acacia crassicarpa
does particularly well and overall seems to perform even better on drained peatland
than on mineral soils (e.g., due to lack of pests on peatland). Finding an alternative
that does not require drainage is challenging, as Acacia crassicarpa has benefitted
from >30 years of domestication, resulting in highly improved stock and production
systems.
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W. Giesen
from two species of the mango family Anacardiaceae, Gluta renghas and Gluta
wallichii, must be cured for a long time before use, as their wood and other parts
contain a highly irritating sap that causes severe blistering. However, the wood of
both is very attractive and durable, and hence sought after. Two ebony species,
Diospyros buxifolia and Diospyros macrophylla, are also very attractive, and albeit
not very durable, their use for furniture is undisputed. Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus)
is a widely sought species because of its fine grain and light color, mainly for the
furniture industry, but it is not very durable. Because of habitat loss and being
excessively sought after, large specimens are now difficult to come by, and the
species has been placed on CITES Appendix 1. Tapang (Koompassia malaccensis)
is a very large, emergent tree that is often not felled as the wood is too hard for
sawing and fibrous. However, it is used for making table-tops, but this requires a
long process of planing and sanding.
Some species do not have a constant quality rating throughout their range and
may be found to be of good quality in some areas and only of fair quality in others.
An example of this is Fagraea fragrans (Gentianaceae family, commonly known as
tembesu), which is a fragrant and highly durable timber when harvested from (peat)
swamps but is found to be much less durable when grown in dryland areas, where it
can also grow. Also, some peat swamp species that are rated to have poor to fair
timber have been re-assessed as new markets emerge. An example of the latter is
ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), which was initially (prior to the 1980s) not harvested
and even ring-barked but was later recognized as having an excellent and highly
valued timber for furniture.
14.4.2 Species for Making Pulp and Paper
The bulk of pulp production on peat soil in Indonesia mainly involves the planting of
red wattle (Acacia crassicarpa Benth.), native to the island of New Guinea and
northern Australia (Queensland), where it naturally grows in savannas and woodland
on flats dominated by Melaleuca and Tristania (Nielsen 1992). Acacia crassicarpa
can achieve very high growth rates on drained peatland and a harvestable size after
only 4–5 years with production rates of 25 m
3 /ha/y. The downside is that this species
requires drainage and groundwater levels (GWLs) of 60–65 cm below the surface,
otherwise it will suffer from root rot, fungal infection, and toppling/leaning of trees if
GWLs are high (APP, personal communication, 2016).
Other species have also been tried on drained peatland, but Acacia crassicarpa
does particularly well and overall seems to perform even better on drained peatland
than on mineral soils (e.g., due to lack of pests on peatland). Finding an alternative
that does not require drainage is challenging, as Acacia crassicarpa has benefitted
from >30 years of domestication, resulting in highly improved stock and production
systems.
422
W. Giesen