Preface

Acacia mangium is a promising fast-growing leguminous tree. In 1966 an Australian forester, D. I. Nicholson, introduced it to Sabah, Malaysia, from its native habitat, the tropical rainforests of Queensland. At that time Acacia auriculiformis was widely planted in Sabah as a street tree, and Nicholson thought that its close relative, mangium, would be worth testing because of its better form and superior wood.

Mangium proved even more useful than expected. It grew so well that in 1973 Sabah foresters introduced it into plantation trials. On good sites it matched growth with better- known fast-growing species; on degraded lateritic clay and worn-out agricultural lands it outstripped all other trees. More recently, plantations have been established even in areas dominated by tenacious tropical weeds such as Imperata grass. It seems likely that this first experience with mangium in plantations is ushering in a new resource for the tropics.

Nevertheless, experiences with mangium are few, and it is not our intention to propose the species for immediate, wide-scale commercial planting. Instead, mangium should be incorporated into trials with fastgrowing tropical trees such as leucaena, Pinus caribaea,

Gmelina arborea, and Eucalyptus species. From these trials should emerge a better understanding of mangium's potential usefulness. In 5 to 10 years foresters will know if this is as promising a resource as it seems today.

Mangium is only one of a number of acacias from the humid Australasian tropics. Collectively they make up a group of little-known trees that have been largely untested in forest plantations. This study draws attention to nine of mangium's relatives because virtually nothing describing their promise as crops can be found in literature readily available to an international readership. Fast-growing leguminous trees such as these acacias may become an important weapon in the battle against the rampant deforestation in tropical areas.

To compile this report, the National Research Council sponsored a panel of American, Australian, and Dutch researchers to visit Sabah, Malaysia, and meet with counterparts from Pusat Penyelidikan Hutan (Forest Research Centre). The meetings took place in May 1981 and involved five days of discussions and site visits. The panel is indebted to A. J. Hepburn and his colleagues at Pusat Penyelidikan Hutan for organizing the visits, as well as to the Sabah Forestry Development Authority (SAFODA), Sabah Softwoods Sdn. Bhd., and the Pacific Hardwood Sdn. Bhd. for their help and hospitality.

This report is one of a National Research Council series, Innovations in Tropical Reforestation.

Other titles include:

· Leucaena: Promising Forage and Tree Crop for the Tropics (1977)

· Firewood Crops: Shrub and Tree Species for Energy Production, Volume I (1980)

· So wing Forests from the Air (1981)

· Calliandra: A Versatile Small Tree for the Humid Tropics (1983)

· Casuarinas: Nitrogen-Fixing Trees for adverse Sites (1983)

· Firewood Crops: Shrub and Tree Species for Energy Production, Volume II (1983)

· Leucaena: Promising Forage and Tree Crop for the Tropics (second edition, in preparation)

Information on promising fast-growing trees is also contained in Tropical Legumes: Resources for the Future. To obtain copies, see page 59.

These activities have been conducted under the auspices of the Advisory Committee on Technology Innovation (ACTI) of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development. The purpose of ACTI is the assessment of scientific and technological advances that might prove especially applicable to problems of developing countries. Since its founding in 1971, it has produced about 30 reports covering subjects as diverse as ferrocement construction materials, the winged bean (a high-protein tropical food crop), mosquito control, and techniques to provide more water for arid lands. ACTI reports in print are listed on page 59.

ACTI projects are supported largely by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). This study was sponsored by AID'S Office of Technical Resources, Bureau for Asia, and the Office of the Science Advisor. Free distribution of the report is made possible by a grant from AID'S Office of the Science Advisor.

How to cite this report:
National Research Council. 1983. Mangium and Other Fast-Crowing Acacias for the Humid Tropics. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.