Demographic Effects of Collecting Rattan Cane and Their Implications for Sustainable Harvesting

Abstract

Rattan, Old World climbing palm, is an extremely valuable nontimber forest product whose canes are gathered for both market and nonmarket uses. I evaluated the effects of harvesting commercial rattan, Calamus zollingeri Becc., on genet survival and ramet demography in two primary forest sites near Lore Lindu National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia. I monitored 168 permanently marked C. zollingeri genets for 4 years and surveyed random transects for C. zollingeri genet and ramet populations and evidence of cane harvesting in 1996 and 2000. Cane harvesting had no significant effect on genet survival or mean ramet densities. However, current cane extraction rates significantly reduced mean cane lengths and total available cane throughout the area during the study period. Based on observed genet and ramet populations and average cane growth rates of 1.4 m/year, the sustained-yield harvesting potential of C. zollingeri is approximately 101 m and 56 m/ha/ year in the two study sites. Although C. zollingeri exhibits life-history traits well suited to sustained-yield harvesting, including production of multiple canes, cane resprouting following harvest, rapid cane growth, and widespread abundance below 1100 m, current harvest rates exceed growth and yield, and supplies of cane are being depleted. Rattan harvesting is widespread in Lore Lindu National Park. Approximately 18% of the park (42,000 ha) is likely subject to intensive and unsustainable extraction of C. zollingeri.Efectos Demográficos de la Recolección de Cañas de Ratán y sus Implicaciones para la Cosecha Sostenible Resumen: El ratán, palma trepadora del Viejo Mundo, es un producto forestal no maderable extremadamente valioso cuyas cañas son colectadas tanto para usos de mercado como no mercado. Evalué los efectos de la cosecha del ratán comercial, Calamus zollingeri Becc., sobre la supervivencia de genet y demografía de rámulas en dos sitios de bosque primario cerca del Parque Nacional Lore Lindu en Sulawesi, Indonesia. Durante 4 años monitoreé 168 genets de C. zollingeri marcados permanentemente y revisé transectos aleatorios en busca de poblaciones de genet y rámulas de C. zollingeri, así como evidencia de cosecha de cañas en 1996 y 2000. La cosecha de cañas no tuvo efecto significativo sobre la supervivencia de genets ni las densidades promedio de rámulas. Sin embargo, las tasas de extracción de caña actuales redujeron significativamente la longitud promedio de las cañas y la disponibilidad total de cañas en toda elárea durante el período de estudio. Con base en poblaciones observadas de genets y rámulas y las tasas promedio de crecimiento de cañas de 1.4 m/año, el potencial de cosecha de producción sostenida de C. zollingeri es de aproximadamente 101m y 56m/ha/año en los dos sitios estudiados. Aunque C. zollingeri exhibe características adecuadas para cosechas de producción sostenida, incluyendo la producción de cañas múltiples, rebrote de cañas después de la cosecha, crecimiento rápido de cañas y amplia abundancia debajo de los 1100 m, las tasas de cosecha ac...

Knowledge of Indonesian University Students on the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

“…The first narrative concerns the over-exploitation of rattan (Calamus spp. ), an internationally traded non-timber forest resource found in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia [31]. The second problem describes near-shore dynamite fishing in the Sunda Sea, Indonesia [32].…”

Impact assessment of the harvest of a medicinal plant (Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan) by a rural semi-arid community (Pernambuco), northeastern Brazil

“…Fieldwork revealed that the first two explanations are more plausible, especially because some dead individuals were found due to clear-cutting. Many plants are capable of supporting high levels of extraction due to their biological characteristics, such as life history and reproduction rate (Siebert 2004;Ticktin 2004). Characteristics inherent to angico are: initiation of the reproductive phase as early as the third year (Maia 2004), production of large amounts of fruit and seed, high rates of germination and survival and low mortality (Silva and Barbosa 2000).…”

Elevational patterns of species richness and density of rattan palms (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…In Malaysia, Sumatra and the Philippines, most important commercial rattan species are already threatened (Sunderland and Dransfield 2002). While collecting rattan is illegal in LLNP, approximately 18% of the park was estimated subject to intensive commercial cane harvesting, particularly of Calamus zollingeri, in the late 1990s and early 2000s (Siebert 2004). In addition, virtually all of the land surrounding LLNP is influenced by human activities such as conversion of forests into agroforestry systems or plantations and harvesting of forest products (Schulze et al 2004;Waltert et al 2004).…”

“…Ecological studies of rattan palms are so far limited to Thailand and West Malaysia (Bøgh 1996;Watanabe and Suzuki 2008), or have dealt with the commercially important rattan species Calamus zollingeri (Siebert 1993(Siebert , 2000(Siebert , 2004 and the sustainability of rattan harvesting in Sulawesi (Clayton et al 2002). Siebert (2005), working in southern LLNP between 830 and 1330 m elevation, found that while the density of rattan did not vary significantly with elevation, species richness of rattan was greatest between 1180 and 1280 m.…”