AFFORESTATION AND HARVESTING STATUS OF Sindora tonkinensis A. Chev. Ex K. & S. S. LARSEN IN SEVERAL CENTRAL COAST PROVINCES

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the afforestation and harvesting status of Sindora tonkinensis in several central coast provinces. Many approaches, including sencondary data, group interviews, stakehoder discussions, and field surveys on standard plots, were applied to obtain the objectives. Evaluation results of 15 models of S. tonkinensis plantation show that it has been planted by 3 methods, including single-species plantation, mixed-species plantation and forest enrichment. In all models, S. tonkinensis has a fairly high survival rate, ranging from 64.8% to 90.7%. The survival rate of S. tonkinensis in plantation models tends to decrease with age. S. tonkinensis has the same growth as some tree species such as Hopea odorata, Aquilaria crassna, and grows more slowly than Tarrietia javanica, Erythrophleum fordii, Endospermum chinense, Cinnamomum parthenoxylon, Acacia hybrid. S. tonkinensis has a medium growth rate, with an average diameter growth of only 0.6 - 1.0 cm/year, and the average height is from 0.4 - 0.9 m/year. At the age of 4 to 7, the average volume is from 0.001 to 0.003 m³/tree, at the age of 13 - 15, the average volume is from 0.052 to 0.056 m³/tree, at the age of 23 - 28, it is from 0.158 to 0.203 m³/tree. The 27-year-old S. tonkinensis model which was planted with pure species, has the best growth with an average diameter growth reaching 19.7 cm, an average height growth reaching 13.4 m and a trunk volume reaching 0.203 m³/tree and yield reaching 4.1 m³/ha/year. The products of S. tonkinensis tree are quite diverse, the wood is used to make high-end handicrafts and construction. However, S. tonkinensis wood products are still very limited because most of the plantation forest models are at a young stage and have been planted for protection and scientific research purposes.