EXPERT PANEL ON PROJECT 8: CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS AND OF THE GENETIC MATERIAL THEY CONTAIN
Final Report
The above report on a meeting held in Morges, Switzerland, from 25 to 27 September 1973 has recently been published as MAB Report Series No.12. It is available from the UNESCO Secretariat, Place de Fontency, Paris VII, France
The report contains the following main chapters:
Introduction
Rationale for the Conservation of Natural Areas and the Genetic Material they contain
Conservation in Relation to the MAB Programme
Criteria and Guidelines for the Conservation of Representative Ecosystems
The Conservation of Genetic Diversity
Relations with Other MAB Projects and Activities
Chapter 5 is divided into the following sections: (5.1) Conservation versus Genetic Engineering (5.2) Limitations (5.3) Classification of Wild Species and Time Scale of Concern (5.4) Wild Species of Direct Economic Importance (5.5) Wild Species Related to Domesticated Plants and Animals (5.6) Species of no Apparent or Immediate Economic Usefulness (5.7) Micro-Organisms of no Direct Application in Science, Technology, Medicine or Agriculture (5.8) Research Proposals.
by
T.F. Geary, H. Barres and R. Ybarra-Coronado
Institute of Tropical Forestry
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.
“Seeds were collected from natural stands of Swietenia macrophylla and Swietenia humilis in eighteen areas from Mexico through Panama and seedlings from the seeds were planted at thirteen locations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Swietenia mahagoni from naturalised stands in the Virgin Islands were included in the plantings.
Differences exist to varying degrees in seed pods, seedling characteristics, survival after field planting, susceptibility to shoot borer attack, growth rate and leaf characteristics between species and among seed sources within species. Differences between species were more important than differences among seed sources in the important characteristic of adaptability as a timber species. Planting location was also very important.
S. macrophylla is recommended for plantations in most of the Subtropical Moist and Wet Ecological Life Zones, but only on a small scale because of shoot borer and weed problems. The data suggest that native areas with the shortest dry season may be the best source of seed for S. macrophylla plantations in Puerto Rico. No mahagony is recommended for the coolest, wettest portion of the Subtropical Wet Life Zone or the Subtropical Lower Montane Wet Zone. A hybrid, S. macrophylla x S. mahagoni, is the mahogany for planting for timber production in the Subtropical Dry and transitional area of the Subtropical Moist Zone”.
1) Forest Service Research Paper ITF-17. July 1973.
by
B. Gray
Department of Forests
Bulolo, Papua New Guinea
“Two species of Araucaria are known from Papua New Guinea, Araucaria cunninghamii D.Don and A. hunsteinii K. Schumann, which are of considerable biogeographical, ecological and economic significance. Araucaria cunninghamii is widely distributed between 500 and 1,900 m elevation, but it is also found at approximately 90 m and up to nearly 2,800 m. Araucaria hunsteinii has a slightly narrower distributional range which is more disjunctive than the former species; it has also a more narrow total elevational range of 520 to 2,100 m. Where the two species occur in the same area, A. hunsteinii usually occurs at elevations below Araucaria cunninghamii and on less precipitous terrain, though mixed stands are common. Regeneration is plentiful in most stands.”
The Bulletin contains distribution maps of existing Araucaria stands in Papua New Guinea, and describes the ecological conditions in the various stands.
In the Discussion it is pointed out that the survival of Araucaria is threatened in several areas, particularly in the Highland Areas of Papua New Guinea, where many stands have already disappeared or have been greatly diminished.
1) Abstract from Technical Bulletin No.1, Department of Forests, Papua New Guinea.
The following bibliographies, arranged chronologically with subject and author indices, have recently been compiled by K.B.L. Mathur of the Indian Forest Research Institute and can be obtained from FRI Press, Publicity and Liaison Branch. Forest Research Institute and Colleges, P.O. New Forest, Dehra Dun, India:
Blue Pine Bibliography (titles with abstracts of important ones, of world literature dealing with Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson), 1973. Price: Rs. 1.90.
Rosewood Bibliography (titles with abstracts of important ones, of world literature dealing with Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.), 1973. Price: Rs. 1.06.
Teak Bibliography (titles with abstracts of important ones, of world literature dealing with Tectona grandis Linn.F.), 1973. Price: Rs. 7.10; £0.83; or $2.92.
A second annotated bibliography on teak entitled “Tectona grandis: A Bibliography” has been compiled by A.V.R.G. Krisna Murty of the Indian Forest Service (Andhra Pradesh Cadre). It is arranged alphabetically by author with subject and geographical indices and is to be published this year by the Commonwealth Forestry Institute, Oxford.
This monograph, published by the Commonwealth Forestry Institute at Oxford, is number 6 in the series of CFI Monographs on Fast Growing Timber Trees of the Lowland Tropics.
Volume I contains a description of the species, its natural environment and distribution, history and potential in countries of origin, potential as an exotic plantation tree, silviculture, mensuration, protection, economics and management, plus a brief summary on tree improvement and wood properties.
Volume II, to be devoted entirely to the study of the wood, is planned to appear later in 1974, and Volume III, on tree improvement, in 1975.
The cost of the publication is £2.50 and it is available from
The Unit of Tropical Silviculture
Department of Forestry
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3RB, England
| S 2.03.1 | Breeding tropical and subtropical species |
| S 2.02.8 | Tropical species provenances |
| held in Nairbi, Kenya, October 1973 | |
| Edited by Dr. J. Burley (CFI) and Dr.D.G. Nikles (Queensland Department of Forestry, Australia) |
Published and obtainable from the Commonwealth Forestry Institute, Oxford.
One volume of 600 pages (A4 size) lithocopied, sewn, with laminated covers.
Cost £4 (U.S.$10.00) including postage by surface mail. Only 500 copies of these proceedings will be published. They will be distributed in strict order of receipt of requests.
