Tropical Palmspalms
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
, NON-WOOD0\ -WOOD FORESTFOREST PRODUCTSPRODUCTS \ 10lo /i Tropical palmspalms Food and Agricuhure Organizahon of the United Nations 171411111 NON-WOODOi\-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS 10lo Tropical palmspalms by Dennis V. Johnson FAO Regional Office for Asia andand thethe PacificPacific FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS RomeRome,, 1998 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legallegal status ofof any country,country, territory,territory, citycity oror area or ofof itsits authorities,authorities, oror concerningconcerning the delimitationdelimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. M-37 ISBN 92-5-104213-692-5-104213-6 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval systemsystem,, or transmittransmittedted inin any form or byby anyany meansmeans,, electronicelectronic,, mechanimechani- calcal., photocopying or otherwise,otherwise, wwithoutithout the prior permissionpermission of thethe copyrightcopyright owner. Applications for such permission,permission , with a statementstatement ofof thethe purposepurpose andand extent of the reproduction,reproduction , should bebe addressedaddressed toto thethe Director,Director, InformationInformation DivisionDivision,, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,Nations, Viale delle Terme di CaracallaCaracalla,, 00100 Rome, Italy. 0© FAO FAO 19981998 Foreword ForewordForeword Palms are among the most common plants in tropical countries, where they often dominatedominate the rural landscape.landscape. AllAll palmspalms belongbelong toto thethe Arecaceae familyfamily (previously(previously calledcalled thethe PalmaePalmae family), family), which comprises somesome 2.2002.200 species.species, distributed mainlymainly throughout the tropicstropics andand sub-tropics.sub-tropics. The palm family isis highlyhighly variablevariable and exhibits a tremendoustremendous morphological diversity. PalmsPalms are found in a widewide rangerange ofof tropicaltropical andand sub-tropicalsub-tropical ecologicalecological zones,zones, butbut theythey areare mostmost commoncommon inin the understory ofof tropicaltropical humidhumid forests.forests. Since ancient times,times, mankind has derived an impressive assortment of products from palmpalm-trees-trees for food, construction.construction, fiberfiber andand fuel. InIn terms of utility of the productsproducts derivedderived fromfrom them, the palm familyfamily ranks third inin the world (after thethe Gramineae andand LeguminosaeLeguminosae families),families), and its role isis even moremore obviousobvious when focusing on the tropical regions. However, despite their frequent occurrence in tropical forests and thethe vastvast arrayarray ofof products derivedderived fromfrom them,them, forestersforesters havehave soso far,far, dedicateddedicated littlelittle attentionattention toto palmspalms whenwhen designing andand implementingimplementing forestforest managementmanagement plans. Usually,Usually, wildwild palm trees inin aa forestforest areare considered moremore ofof aa nuisancenuisance thanthan anan asset.asset. The purpose of this study is to remedy this situation by providing basic information on palms asas anan importantimportant forestforest resourceresource andand toto presentpresent aa comprehensivecomprehensive coveragecoverage ofof thethe varietyvariety ofof non-wood forestforest productsproducts whichwhich cancan bebe obtainedobtained fromfrom them.them. The prospectiveprospective audienceaudience includesincludes foresters, ruralrural developmentdevelopment workersworkers andand policypolicy makers,makers, andand internationalinternational conservationconservation andand development agencies.agencies. Through thethe useuse ofof thisthis document,document, itit willwill bebe possiblepossible toto betterbetter assessassess thethe contribution ofof palmpalm productsproducts toto sustainsustain thethe livelihoodlivelihood ofof ruralrural peoplepeople andand toto evaluateevaluate thethe contribution ofof palmspalms toto sustainablesustainable forestryforestry andand agroforestryagroforestry development.development. The present study vaswas developeddeveloped jointlyjointly byby thethe RegionalRegional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Forest ProductsProducts DivisionDivision ofof thethe ForestryForestry DepartmentDepartment atat FAO Headquarters. TheThe draftdraft ofof this document waswas preparedprepared byby DennisDennis V.V. Johnson,Johnson, underunder thethe guidanceguidance ofof Patrick B.B. DurstDurst andand Paul Vantomme. It gives us great pleasure to release this document, in the hope that it will provideprovide essential informationinformation soso thatthat palmspalms cancan bebe affordedafforded theirtheir rightfulrightful placeplace inin tropicaltropical forestryforestry development. 6444,ilotAdwai Soetatwo Hadiwigeno David A. Harcharik Assistant Director-General and Assistant Director-General RegionalRegional RepresentativeRepresentative forfor AsiaAsia andand thethe PacificPacific Forestry Department illiii Acknowledgments Acknowledgments This document was prepared,prepared, based on aa draftdraft mademade byby DennisDennis V.V. Johnson,Johnson, previouslypreviously ofof thethe UnUnitedited States Department of AgricultureAgriculture (USDA) Forest Service,Service, Washington, DC.DC.,, and who isis an authorityauthority onon palmpalm utilization,utilization, conservationconservation andand development.development. TheThe documentdocument benefitedbenefited fromfrom the detaileddetailed commentscomments ofof JohnJohn Dransfield,Dransfield, RoyalRoyal BotanicalBotanical Gardens Kew, UK; and fromfrom thethe following individuals who contributed information andand ideas to thisthis report:report: MichaelMichael Balick,Balick, Henrik Balslev,Balslev, Charles Clement, Neela De Zoysa,Zoysa, JohnJohn Dowe,Dowe, PatrickPatrick Durst,Durst, AndrewAndrew HendersonHenderson,, Don Hodel,Hodel, FrancisFrancis Kahn,Kahn, JaneJane MacKnight, MacKnight, MonicaMonica Moraes, Moraes, Jean-Christophe Jean-Christophe Pintaud, C. Renuka, Natalie Uhl,Uhl, Jane Villa-Lobos and Scott ZonaZona.. This report derivesderives itsits basicbasic informationinformation on the conservationconservation status of palmspalms fromfrom thethe plants database of the WorldWorld ConservationConservation MonitoringMonitoring Centre (WCMC),(WCMC), CambridgeCambridge,, U.K.U.K. The assistance of Harriet Gillett ofofWCMC WCMC is gratefully acknowledged. TheThe preparationpreparation ofof this this reportreport aalsolso draws upon datadata collectedcollected byby thethe WorldWorld ConservationConservation Union/SpeciesUnion/Species SurvivalSurvival CommissionCommission (lUCN(IUCN/SSC)/SSC) PalmPalm Specialist Group inin the coursecourse of preparingpreparing an actionaction planplan onon palmpalm conservation and sustained utilization.utilization. v TablTablee of contentcontentss Table of Contents Foreword ............................................ ................ ................................. .. ... ... ......... ..... ... III AcknowledgmentsAcknowledglnents ........................... .. ..... ... ... .... ..... ......... ........ .. ............... ..... .... ... .. ...... v Introduction ..... .... ...... ... .. ..... ....... ........ .. ....... ... .... .. ... ..... .. .... ... .... .. .... ..... .. ......... ...... ... ... 1 Historical role of palms in human culture ....... .. .. .. ..... ... ......... ..... .. ...... ....... ... ...... ......... 1313 Current palm products ... ................. .... ............................. ....... .. .... ... ............... .. .. .. ........ 29 Asian region ...... ..... ... ....... .... ........... .. .. .................. ..................... .... ..... .. ..... .. .......... ...... 39 Pacific Ocean regionregion....... ............................. ......................................................... .. .... 7777 Latin AmericanAlnerican regionregion.............. ................ ....... ..... ..... .. ... ..... ....... ...... .......... .. ... ..... ... .... 8383 African and the westernwestern IndianIndian OceanOcean regionregion .. .... .... ... ... ....... .... ... ...... .. ............ ... .... .. ... 110505 Palms with development potentialpotential......... ... ..... ............. .......... ........ ....... ..... ... .. .... .. ... .. .. 111199 Composition andand characteristicscharacteristics ofof selected selected palmpalm productsproducts ...... ..... ..... .... .. ...... ... ..... ... 112525 References ... .. ..... ..... .................................. .... .... ....... ..... .. ... .... .. .... .... .. .. ...... ... ..... ... .. ... .. 113535 Additional informationinformation sourcessources ...... ... ....... ... .................... ................................. ............ 115555 Directory of palm specialistsspecialists ................ .. ... ... .... ... .......... .... .... ...... ............ ...... .... .. ...... ... 159 viviii Non-Non-Wood Wood ForestForest Products: TropicalTropical Palms List ofof TablesTables Table 2-1: IbanIban utilization utilization ofof native native palmspalms ... ... .. ............................ .. ...... ... ... ............... 18 Table 2-2: ShipiboShipibo utilization utilization of of native native palmspalms ............................ .. .... .... ..................... 20 Table 2-3: KwanyamaKwanyama