A holistic assessment of the use of teak at a landscape level in Luang Phrabang, Lao PDR

Sammanfattning: Teak (Tectonia grandis) plantation establishment in Lao PDR started in 1942, and has strongly increased since 1980. The total area of teak plantations in the Luang Phrabang province is estimated at 5 587 hectares. Pak Ou district is one of the most important areas with teak plantations in the Luang Phrabang province. An attempt was made by the Teak Research Station in Luang Phrabang to test effects of technologies such as thinning and pruning on teak growth during a 2-3-year period during 2002-2004. This thesis work aims at evaluating the effects of these forestry practices from both bio-physical and socio-economic aspects. A literature survey was made to compile information about nutrient element demand, nutrient cycles and problems related to insects and fungi in teak plantations. Pruning and thinning and their effects on teak growth were monitored and analysed. The socio-economic aspects, such as the role of teak forestry in the farmers' household economy and the market flow of teak, were also studied. The socio-economic data collection was carried out in four villages in the Pak Ou district. The village headmen and owners of teak in the experimental plots provided the history and general information about the villages relevant for this study. The bio-physical data, i.e. the tree growth variables diameter at breast height (DBH), commercial tree height and total (top) tree height were analyzed with ANOVA assuming pseudoreplication to compare mean annual increments of teak growth between different treatments at the four sites Lathahea, Had Soa , Pak Check , and Houay Leuang. The results show that thinning and pruning increased teak growth. Pruning was applied at 50%, 60% and 70% combined with thinning at 25%, and control plots were left untreated. Thinning was applied at 25% and 50% and according to farmers' practice, in combination with pruning to 60% of total height, and control plots were left untreated. The results suggested that pruning should be applied at a rate between 50 and 60%, and that thinning should be applied at 25 to 50%. Teak played an important role for the farmers, because they got a high income when selling the timber to local and outside traders. Teak accounted for 27, 15 and 14 % of the total household income for the wealthy, middle and poor groups, respectively. The market channel of teak production for most growers went via local and outside traders, and teak growers could not access the wood processing units directly. It was estimated that 99 % of the teak logs in a village were bought by outside traders and only 1 % by a local trader. The export was estimated at about 95 % of the teak wood produced. The remaining 5% of teak logs were used locally as teak residues obtained after pre-processing in the Wood Processing Units. In order to have a positive effect on farmers' living standard, teak may need to be produced more efficiently to be marketable. The income from teak was ranked as the second one of importance for the inhabitants of the Pak Check, Houay Leuang, Lathahae and Had Soa villages.