Measuring Impact

Research that works for developing countries and Australia

 

Improved silvicultural management of Endospermum medullosum (whitewood) for enhanced plantation forestry outcomes in Vanuatu

Project ID:
FST/2005/089
Collaborating Countries:
Vanuatu
Project Locations
Commissioned Organisation:
Southern Cross University, Australia
Project Leader
Doland Nichols
Phone: 02 6620 3492
Fax: 02 6621 2669
Email: doland.nichols@scu.edu.au
Collaborating Institutions:
  • Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Australia
  • Department of Forests, Vanuatu
  • Melcoffee Sawmills, Vanuatu
Project Budget:
$660,116
Project Duration:
01/07/2007 - 30/06/2011
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Russell Haines
Project Overview

The government of Vanuatu intends to greatly expand its plantation estate over the next 18 years, and there is international interest in a whitewood (Endospermum medullosum) plantation industry. A significant amount of genetic improvement and propagation research of whitewood has already been carried out, but current plantation practices are poor, seriously reducing the economic returns to landholders and preventing the development of a more substantial industry. This project will develop comprehensive silvicultural prescriptions for community-based plantation forestry with whitewood in Vanuatu. Both monocultures and polycultures will be trialled, with a focus on plantings with and without interspersed agricultural crops (and an emphasis on the important impacts of thinning other species and harvesting root crops to bring in early financial returns).

Project Progress Reports
Year One

The Whitewood project started in late November 2007 with the visit of five Australian members of the project to Santo, and a busy ten-day period of planning and beginnings of work with collaborators Department of Forestry Vanuatu and Melcoffee Sawmills.

Our greatest progress to date has been in the area of identifying site selection criteria for Whitewood plantations on Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu. Extensive soil sampling was done, in coordination with the establishment of thirty Permanent Sample Plots in Whitewood plantations. These are useful in estimating yields and will be monitored throughout the project.

Using the set of soil samples taken along with tree measurements and existing knowledge summarised in the VANRIS system, project soil scientist John Grant estimates that there are approximately 69,203 hectares suitable for successful Whitewood plantations, out of 395,120 ha on the island. We did not detect a range of site indices in this area, with the soils being broadly similar across all plots sampled and precipitation adequate for good tree growth.
From December 2007 through to May 2008 a series of trial plots were established, to deal with issues of weed control, plantation management and spacing-thinning. These will be augmented in September 2008 by another series of trials, focussing on agroforestry combinations and mixtures with other tree species.

Wood quality sampling will begin in July 2008, in conjunction with collection of seed and cuttings from seed orchards.