Tree Conservation Information Service
| Araucaria cunninghamii
Araucariaceae alloa, colonial pine, hoop pine, ningwik, pien, Richmond River pine Distribution Australia (New South Wales, Queensland), Indonesia (Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea Habitat An emergent tree which occurs mainly in Fagaceae forest above 1000m up to 2745m. Relatively dense stands are found in forest on loam, clay, sand or peat soils on ridges, sometimes on swampy terrain. In Australia, it is scattered in rainforest. In New Guinea associated species include Araucaria hunsteinii, Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Flindersia, Elaeocarpus, Podocarpus and Toona and in Australia Flindersia zanthoxyla, F. australis, F. pubescens, Dysoxylum spp., Ceratopetalum apetalum and the members of Lauraceae and Celastraceae are associated. Population Status and Trends In New Guinea, stands have been heavily exploited, especially for the plywood industry. Areas such as Bulolo in Papua New Guinea are exhausted. Numerous small patches, however, still remain in a range of habitats and large scale logging is no longer viable. Large amounts of timber are being produced from plantation sources in Australia (Soerianegara & Lemmens, 1993). Role of species in the Ecosystem A dominant species. Regeneration in the wild takes place in disturbed habitats. Threats Commercial overexploitation. Utilisation The timber is useful as a light structural timber, for ship and building, furniture, veneer, plywood, pulpwood, joinery and turnery. The seeds are edible and trees are planted as ornamentals. Trade Araucaria timber is commercially important but mainly locally traded. Araucaria plywood was a major export item from Papua New Guinea until 1980 when the supplies of logs from natural sources became low. The species is reported in plywood exports in 1995 from Papua New Guinea (ITTO, 1997). IUCN Conservation category Not evaluated. Conservation Measures Export of Araucaria logs has been banned from Papua New Guinea. Forest Management and Silviculture Extensive plantations have been set up in Australia and South Africa. In Australia 44,500 ha have been planted and provided an annual timber production of 211,000 m³ in 1988-1989 and 248,000 m³ in 1989-1990. Plantations mixed with A. hunsteinii cover 8000ha in Papua New Guinea, where trees have reached heights of 30m after 38 years growth. Trees in Queensland are reported to reach 33m in 34 years and in Peninsular Malaysia the same height is reached in 30 years. Plantation material produces a premium quality pulp. Trees usually start to bear cones at 15 to 25 years age. Propagation can be achieved from seed, which can be stored for up to six years. References Boland, D.J., M.I.H. Brooker, G.M. Chippendale, N. Hall, B.P.M. Hyland, R.D. Johnston, D.A. Kleing, & J.D. Turner. 1962. Forest trees of Australia. Melbourn: Thomas Nelson & CSIRO. Enright, N.J. 1982. The Ecology of Araucaria species in Papua New Guinea. Journal of Ecology 7 FAO Forestry Department. 1986. Databook on endangered tree and shrub species and their provenances. Rome: FAO. 524pp. ITTO. 1997. Annual review and assessment of the world tropical timber situation. 1996. International Tropical Timber Organization. Keating, W.G. & E. Bolza. 1982. Characteristics, properties and uses of timbers. Volume 1. South-East Asia, northern Australia and the Pacific. Inkata Press. Soerianegara, I. & R.H.M.J. Lemmens (eds.). 1993. Plant Resources of South-East Asia 5(1). Timber trees: Major commercial timbers. Wageningen: Pudoc Scientific Publishers. 610 pp.
|
For help with this web site contact:
|
UNEP World Conservation
Monitoring Centre |
Information Enquiries |
| Document URL: http://www.unep-wcmc.org
/trees/trade/ara_cun.htm
|
|
