Introduction

In Malaysia, the forestry sector continues to play an important role in the socio-economic development of the nation. The total export of timber and timber products, including wooden and rattan furniture in 2001 was impressive and was valued at about US$3.75 billion. The country is fortunate in that forest products are still available from old-growth production forests to meet its timber requirements, although in some states (e.g. Johor, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan), timber harvesting has started in the second-growth (logged-over) forests. However, the old-growth production forests are expected to be exploited completely over the next few years and forest production will have to shift to second-growth forests. This will be a challenge for the forestry sector as the structure and composition of second-growth forests are quite different compared to old-growth forests. Research indicates that past logging practices caused serious damage to residual stands and regeneration (e.g. Canonizado 1978; Pinard 1995; Taumas 1999), often exceeding 50 percent1. There is also excessive soil damage and compaction due to the high density of logging roads and skid trails, and heavy blading by bulldozers. As a result, most second-growth forests are anticipated to contain less commercial species, and the size distribution patterns of the trees are expected to be highly variable. Due to high mortality and poor growth rates, productivity under the selective management system, currently being applied in production forests, is far less than the assumed 2.5 m³/ha (Ismail Harun and Appanah 2000). This means that the existing logged-over forest, which comprises more than 80 percent of the production forest in Peninsular Malaysia, needs to be assessed and new management approaches will have to be formulated to enhance the productivity of the stands.

The total forest resources in Malaysia cover 18.9 million ha or 59 percent of the total land area. In Peninsular Malaysia, out of a total forested area of 5.55 million ha, Permanent Reserved Forests constitute 4.58 million ha, of which 2.91 million ha are classified as Production Forests while the remaining 1.67 million ha are Protection Forests (Table 1). The area of logged-over forests is about 3.11 million ha or 65 percent of the total inland forest. These forests will be re-logged in the near future to meet the timber demands of the country.

Table 1. Permanent Reserved Forests (PRF) in Peninsular Malaysia (ha)

    Source: National Forest Inventory III, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia

Objectives of the study

This study was designed to develop a rapid appraisal technique for assessing the status of logged-over forests at the management level in Peninsular Malaysia. It is based on existing methodologies and develops a pragmatic approach applicable for the prevailing conditions in Peninsular Malaysia.