Timber Resources Base
Yield estimates are an important element of a sustainable forest management system, but simply serve as one of many aspects in planning the harvest. Studies on forest growth and yield in Segaliud Lokan Forest Reserve (SLFR) were started in 1998 through internal competency.
The rationale for deriving our annual harvest is based on the generated result of the Compartment Level Inventory conducted over 36 compartment consist of 117 permanent sample plots covering a total area approximately 24 ha. About 62 plots covering 10.2 ha are remeasured until 2014.
Using 20-years harvesting cycle need to cover approximately 2,500 ha net operable area annually. The harvesting records show average cutting is about 25,000 m3 annually. Current data acknowledged that annual allowable cut (AAC) is around 23,000 m3 per annum. This means a cutting intensity in the concession is about 8.98 m3/ha or slightly less than 3 tree per ha. It is likely to decrease from the present harvest volume rate in between 11.0 m3/ha and 17.5 m3/ha. These situation clearly shown that SLFR is not sustainable in term of volume production annually. We realize that depending on Potential Crop Tree (PCT) growth is not sufficient to the next harvesting cycle, whereas rehabilitation is the best decision for company to ensure sustainable production of SLFR. Moreover, short term yields are very depending on the initial stands and harvesting system.
It is important to realize the availability of tree stands which reach the cutting limit during the second rotation. A better understanding of growth and yield of our forest shall provide assistance to the effect of silviculture intervention on second cycle yield as well improves the estimates of annual allowable cut and harvesting cycle whilst maintaining the sustainability of SLFR.
Aerial view of SLFR Current Stocking
On 2016, the management has decided to use Silvicultural Management Inventory (SMI) for Forest Resource monitoring. The inventory field operation has been on going until August 2017 and now is proceeding for the data analysis for the next FMP (2019-2029) preparation. The data from the inventory will be used to determine the harvesting scheduled based on the compartment readiness.
Apart from SMI, the management also decides to redo the Permanent Sample Plot (PSP) for the Forest growth monitoring. The PSP is using a new method; from circle plot to square plot and from 117 plots of the previous PSPs, it has been reduced to 60 plots. 30 plots in each forest types; ITP and NFM where it covers all the three stratum types that has been identified in SLFR; good, average and poor. Data from both SMI and PSP will be used to project the production yield. However, the PSP establishment is still on going and is expected to finish on 2019.
Aerial view of SLFR Current Stocking