The Ministry of Environment and Water (MAAE), with technical support from FAO through PROAmazonía, has developed dendrological studies and physical-anatomical properties of 51 prioritized forest species. This will be a key and useful input for the actions of the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) carried out by the Forestry Directorate of the MAAE.

These studies are part of the strengthening of forest traceability, which allows the registration of information on the trees to be harvested that have been authorized by the Environmental Authority, in turn, relate the trees registered and inventoried, with the products in their natural state. The National Forest Directorate determined that for most species, market prices are below production costs. Based on these considerations, a list of forest species of high commercial value was prioritized for conditional use, listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and taking into account the volume of these species that require better instruments to be identified. Those selected correspond to common names used in establishments that process and market timber and in the registry of harvesting plans and programs, so it was necessary to associate them with their respective scientific names.

This is an effort by the MAAE to generate and compile reliable and validated information to improve the management of forest resources, including censuses and inventories, the preparation, execution and monitoring of management plans and programs, the transport and storage of timber, and the implementation of actions for conservation, promotion, restoration and sustainable forest management.

After the investigative work, a Catalog of Timber Forest Species will be developed that will correspond to a national registry of the species that are harvested. It will be a continuous process that will incorporate new records according to the needs of the country’s forest management.

This catalog of forest species will collect relevant information on the 51 selected species, which have been described by their main dendrological and anatomical characteristics of the wood, which will facilitate their correct identification.

Among the main characteristics described, the following can be highlighted: family, synonyms, common names, status, category according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), botanical and dendrological description, characteristics of wet wood, organoleptic characteristics, macroscopic anatomical characteristics, microscopic anatomical characteristics, physical properties, ecology and uses.

The description is supported by high definition photographs of the different characteristics, maps and graphs, which allow, in a very easy and didactic way, to know each species.

To access this information, several mechanisms have been planned:

The National Catalog of Biological Objects “CNOB,” where users can access information on the 51 forest species digitally and it is available on the page of the Unified Environmental Information System SUIA.

A Catalog of forest species in electronic version that will be available in the MAAE, PROAmazonía and FAO distribution media.

In addition, as part of the field work, botanical collections, xylotheque and microscopic samples of the wood of the 51 species were generated, which were delivered to universities, herbaria and the MAAE, so that they can be used in knowledge management and in the identification of species that are being exploited, mobilized and traded.

These generated actions and products will contribute to the improvement of the institutional capacities of the MAAE, the reduction of illegal logging of threatened or endangered species, the expansion of knowledge about the natural forest for a correct performance of the National Forest Control System; and will favor the effective application of public forest policy, the promotion of sustainable forest development and the fulfillment of international commitments.

Photograph: FAO

Description: Collage of dendrological and anatomical characteristics of Swietenia macrophylla (Mahogany) wood.

Photograph: Walter A. Palacios

Description: Photographs belonging to the Guide for the dendrological and anatomical identification of 29 timber species

 

Authors:

Jorge Armijos – Forest Emissions Reference Level Specialist FAO-PROAmazonía Project

Christian Velasco- Forest Sciences Specialist FAO-PROAmazonía Project