40 C O U N T R Y C O M P A S S %ARGENTINA Argentina has legislation (Law 26.331 spp.) from around 100 of the 900 plus and Law 25.080) that protects the country’s species of acacia, then used the coarse Argentina’s forest diversity native forests and establishes various flour in baked seed cakes. Wattle seed has Argentina stretches across many lines of categories for their use, ranging from strict an unusually low glycaemic index, which latitude and, as a result, encompasses a conservation to the possibility of means that the carbohydrates in it are diversity of climates and soil types. It is this sustainable harvesting. Forestry incentives slowly absorbed and therefore better for geographic diversity that fosters the more are established by means of non-repayable one’s health than sugary, quick-release than 30 million ha of temperate, subtropical, grants to producers for planting trees and alternatives. humid and semi-arid native forest. such silvicultural activities as pruning, Wattle seed is now being used by In the north of the country is the thinning, coppicing and the enrichment of Barons, an Australian brewery, in one of its Chaqueño parkland, forming deciduous native forests. (Source: XIII World Forestry ales, Barons Black Wattle. xerophilous stands with scrubland, Congress announcement, www.wfc2009.) The same brewer uses another little- grassland and palm stands. Species known NWFP in its Witbier: lemon myrtle present here include various types of leaves. Lemon myrtle (Backhousia quebracho (Schinopsis spp.), carob %AUSTRALIA citriodora) is a flowering plant native to the (Prosopis spp.) and pink lapacho (Tabebuia subtropical rain forests of Queensland, avellanedae). Australian truffle harvest in full swing Australia. It is considered to have a "cleaner In the northeast of the country, Australia's black truffle harvest is in full and sweeter" aroma than comparable Tucumano-Boliviana rain forests form swing, with growers tipping a bumper crop of sources of citral (such as lemongrass). submontane and montane subtropical the revered fungus this winter. Lemon myrtle is one of the well-known forests with altitude determining the Australia's truffle pioneers are in bushfood flavours and is sometimes composition of mixed forest. Species found Tasmania, which produced the country's first referred to as the "Queen of the lemon here include cedars (Cedrela spp.), pink Tuber melanosporum in 1999 after plantings herbs", with the new growth preferred for its lapacho, jacaranda (Jacaranda began in 1991. Peter Cooper from Périgord sweetness. (Source: Lehrman Beverage mimosifolia) and cebil (Anadenanthera Truffles of Tasmania is predicting a best-ever Law [Australia], 29 June 2009.) colubrina). There are alders (Alnus national harvest for 2009 of about 1.5 tonnes. acuminata) above 1 200 m, while mountain Europe produces up to 60 tonnes of black or Tucumán pine (Podocarpus parlatorei) truffles during its annual winter harvest. can be found up to 1 900 m. The feather-light truffles have a three- The Misiones subtropical rain forest is week fresh shelf-life and fresh is considered also found in the northeast. It contains mixed best, although truffles can be preserved. subtropical forests with high levels of Mr Cooper said prices for Australian biodiversity and multistorey stands 20–30 m truffles have so far withstood an impact on tall. In addition, the province of Misiones has demand caused by the global financial crisis. a considerable area of forest plantations They will sell this season for about AU$2.50 producing fast-growing species, particularly per gram, he said. Pinus elliottii and P. taeda. Tasmanian truffles, sniffed out from under Just south of Misiones is the province of oak and hazel trees by dogs, are picked in the Corrientes, which has the most extensive morning and packed and shipped the same area of forest plantations. The province of day. The clock on freshness is ticking as soon Entre Rios, bordering Corrientes, has a large as they are plucked from the earth. area planted with various species of Mr Cooper said they can be anywhere in %BANGLADESH eucalyptus, together with a well-established Australia within 24 hours and anywhere in industry. the world within 48 hours of harvesting. Most Present status of NTFPs species stock in Andino-Patagónico forests are found of them will be sold overseas, through Asia Sylhet Forest Division: a case study from along the Andes from latitude 37º south, and into Europe. Juri Forest Range-2 southwards to Tierra del Fuego. These A black truffle varies in size from 2 cm in The exploitation of NTFPs is less ecologically forests contain such species as the monkey diameter to the size of a grapefruit and is destructive than timber harvesting and puzzle or pehuén (Araucaria araucana) and covered in black warts; its appearance therefore provides a sounder basis for various species of the Nothofagus genus, indicates nothing of its true value. sustainable forest management. Research which are found as far south as Tierra del The truffles, which form annually, are reveals that NTFP cultivation can bring Fuego. found just below the soil surface to a depth of concrete ecological benefits, e.g. it can Espinal scrubland forms deciduous 20 cm and are believed to develop their best encourage natural regeneration and mimic xerophilous woodland interspersed with characteristics in cold soil. (Source: Food natural forest ecosystems in plantations and palm stands, grassy savannah, grassy Week Online, 24 July 2009.) afforestation sites. steppe and bushy steppe. This region can A study was carried out in the Juri Forest be subdivided into three regions, the first Wattle and myrtle beers Range-2, Sylhet Forest Division, to explore the dominated by ñandubay (Prosopis affinis), For over 6 000 years, Australian Aborigines existing numbers of cultivated NTFP species. the second by carob and the third by caldén in different clans around the country The NTFPs in the study area were bamboo, (P. caldenia). parched and milled wattle seeds (Acacia cane, sungrass and murta (see table). NON-WOOD NEWS No. 20 January 2010 SC POEUCNI AT RL YF ECAOTMUPRAESSS 41 Stock of NTFPs in Juri Forest Range-2 Local Scientific Family Average no. Average no. Average no. Average circumference name name of culm/ha of clump/ha of culm/clump of each clump (mean±SD) (m) (mean±SD) Jai bamboo Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Graminae 7 545 373 25(±6.016) 3.02(±0.884) Dulu bamboo Neohouzeaua dulloa (Gam.) Camp. Graminae 3 144 153 27(±5.422) 7.13(±1.923) Muli bamboo Melocanna baccifera (Roxb.) Kurz Graminae 8 867 – – – Jali bet Calamus guruba Ham. Palmae 4 950 224 25(±6.016) 3.02(±0.884) Sungrass Imperata arundinacea Graminae 8 482 534 18(±5.59) 4.10(±1.02) Murta Schumannianthus dichotoma Marantaceae 710 72 22(±5.67) 6.81(±1.98) The study found that there were six Government figures show that between This move to improve service delivery is species under three families of available June 2007 and June 2008, 60 178 trees – one of the sub-themes discussed at the NTFPs in the study area. The dominant about 165 every day – were felled to meet Second Annual Forestry Conference held in family was Graminae, with four species, the demand for poles. About 550 trees were Zhemgang from 29 to 31 October. “The DoF followed by Palmae and Marantaceae (one felled daily for other uses. is making it simple and convenient for the species each). "There's an immense pressure on the farmers,” said the nature conservationist, Communities living in or around the forest," Department of Forests spokesman Dr Sangay Wangchuk. forests have been collecting various forest Gopal Mahat told the Kuensel newspaper. With the main theme of “Managing products, mainly NTFPs, for their "We can't stop granting permits, especially Forestry Resources for Poverty Alleviation”, subsistence as well as for commercial use. for important religious rites because it forest officers will also sort out how to Selling NTFPs has been the most involves sentiments," he said. "The demand enhance access to forest resources, widespread way in which rural people in the is for straight, young trees, which have the especially NWFPs, by the community. study area earn a cash income and whereby potential of becoming crop trees." “Clear-cut guidelines and frameworks for new development opportunities are created. Many Bhutanese Buddhists believe that the use of forest products and marketing However, NTFP resources are declining at the ideal number of prayer flags for will be framed,” said Dr Wangchuk. an alarming rate because of overexploitation. deceased people is 108, preferably made NWFPs include cane and bamboo Tropical countries such as Bangladesh do not from freshly cut trees. products, various medicinal plants, have enough information on their stock of Officials warn that this approach means Cordyceps, mushrooms and different species NTFPs. Therefore, in order to prepare a that most of Bhutan's forest will be gone of ferns. Dr Wangchuk said that, to date, lack proper forest management strategy, within the next 20 years and that trees are of guidelines and frameworks restricts people assessments of NTFPs in the whole country already being cut down deeper and deeper from using forest resources. “Giving farmers are extremely important. (Contributed by: Md. within forests. The problem has become so access to harvest forest resources would Parvez Rana and Mohammed Salim Uddin, serious that forestry officers in the capital, generate income to the community, which Department of Forestry and Environmental Thimpu, have restricted the number of would help in poverty alleviation,” he said. Science, School of Agriculture and Mineral prayer flagposts to 29. The chief forestry officers, park Sciences, Shahjalal University of Science and Plans are also afoot to persuade people managers, dzongkhag (district) forest Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh.