The Potential Wood Production Of Sarawak Indigenous Forest

Ensuring a sustainable annual timber production is important for a state like Sarawak considering that timber industries make great contribution to the state's economy. This study aims to forecast the sustainable log production from the state natural forests and analyzing it with regards domestic timber requirements and the validity of the assumptions of forest area, cutting cycle (CC) and mean annual increment (MAl). Data were obtained from the documents of the relevant agencies and the literature. This study forecasted the sustainable annual log production to be 11.8 million m1/year. It confirms the level forecasted by the Sarawak Forest Department ~ause it used the same assumptions. The production consists of 8.8 million ml from 4A million ha . of harvestable Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forests employing a 25-year· CC and MAl of 2.0 m1/ha/yearr, and 3.0 million m1/year from 962,000 ha of Peatswamp Forests employing a 45-year CC and MAl of 3.1 m1/ha/yr. The assumed harvestable forest area is reasonable considering the recent increase in the area of the PFE, and the specified CCs and MAIs are within the range of values assumed for similar situations in Peninsular Malaysia. It is higher than the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Mission's recommended sustainable production of 9.2 million ml because of the larger forest area assumed in this study. The forecasted log production would be enough to feed the 16 million ml capacity in the existing timber mills but not enough to feed the proposed pulp and paper mill (4.8 million m1 capacity). The log production cou'ld be maintained and increased by establishing forest plantations, reducing logging damage, carrying out silvicultural treatments and controlling illegal logging