Sist, P., Fimbel, R., Nasi, R., Sheil, D., Chevallier, M-H. 2003. Towards sustainable managament of mixed dipterocarp forests of South East Asia: moving beyond minimum diameter cutting limits. Enviro

Environmental Conservation 30 (4): 364–374 © 2003 Foundation for Environmental Conservation  OI:10.1017/S0376892903000389

Towards sustainable management of mixed dipterocarp forests of SoutheastAsia: moving beyond minimum diameter cutting limits

PLINIO SIST

¹*, ROBERT FIMBEL², DOUGLAS SHEIL³, ROBERT NASI⁴ AND MARIE-HÉLÈNE CHEVALLIER⁴

¹

Cirad-Forêt, EMBRAPA Amazonia Oriental, Travessa Eneas Pinheiro, Belem-PA 66095-100, Brazil,
²Washington State Parks, 7150,²Cleanwater Lane, Olympia WA 98504, USA, 
³CIFOR, PO Box 6596, 10065 JKPWB Jakarta, Indonesia and
⁴Cirad-Forêt, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10/C, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France

SUMMARY
Selective logging applied in tropical forests is based on one universal criterion: a minimum diameter cutting limit for all commercial timber species. Minimum diameter cutting limits in mixed dipterocarp forests of the Malesia region lead to high felling intensities (10–20+ trees ha1). Such extraction rates create massive stand damage (> 50% of the remaining tree population), which has a negative impact on the regeneration and growth of many harvested dipterocarp species. As such, the minimum diameter cutting limit approach is seldom compatible with sustainable forest management. Where basic ecological characteristics of the commercial species are considered in timber harvesting prescriptions, mixed dipterocarp forests appear capable of sustained timber yields, habitat conservation, and providing other goods and services. This paper first presents the main silvicultural systems developed in mixed dipterocarp forests of Western Malesia and then reviews current knowledge of dipterocarp biology to finally develop guidelines aimed at improving the ecological sustainability of production forests of Western Malesia. These guidelines, a pragmatic reflection of science and ‘best guess’ judgement, include: (1) integration of reduced-impact logging practices into normal management operations; (2) cutting of eight trees ha1 or less (with a felling cycle of 40–60 years to be determined according to local conditions); (3) defining minimum diameter cutting limits according to the structure, density and diameter at reproduction of target species; (4) avoiding harvesting species with less than one adult tree /ha (diameter at breast height dbh >50cm over an area of 50–100 ha); (5) minimizing the size and connectivity of gaps (600m² whenever possible); (6) refraining from treatments such as understorey clearing; and (7) providing explicit protection for key forest species and the ecological processes they perform. Further refinement is encouraged to allow for local conditions, and for other forest types.

Keywords: Malesia, mixed dipterocarp forests, reduced-impact logging (RIL), sustainable forest management, silviculture, East Kalimantan, habitat conservation, Tebang Pilih Tanam Indonesia (TPTI)

e submitted: 17 May 2002 Date accepted: 23 May 2003

Reference citation: Sist, P., Fimbel, R., Nasi, R., Sheil, D., Chevallier, M-H. 2003. Towards sustainable managament of mixed dipterocarp forests of South East Asia: moving beyond minimum diameter cutting limits. Environmental Conservation 30 (4):364-374