Annex 1. Flora of Cambodia and Species Monographs Botanical Work by CTSP

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1 Flora of Cambodia and Species Monographs Botanical Work by CTSP Acknowledgements The Forestry Administration would like to thank a number of people for facilitating the survey and reviewing earlier drafts of this manuscript. This work would not have been possible without the support of the Forestry Administration in Phnom Penh, and specifically, Mr. Ty Sokhun, Mr. Chea Sam Ang and Mr. Ouk Siphan. Thanks are extended to all officials who provided time and assistance in collecting relevant information. DANIDA funded this work, and we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Indochina Tree Seed Programme and the staff of the Cambodia Tree Seed Project. Another major contributor to this report, beside the author, was Mr. Arvid Sloth Danida Advisor. Thanks also go to Ms. Sarah Burgess and Dr. Andrew McDonald for reviewing the manuscript. Species distribution maps were technically produced by the Forestry Administration s GIS Unit. UTM coordinates are listed in Appendix 2. Abbreviations: a.s.l. Above Sea Level ARA Working Group on Rainforest, Germany CAT Cat Action Treasury CI Conservation International CTSP Cambodia Tree Seed Project, Indochina Tree Seed Programme In dbh Diameter at breast height FA Forestry Administration FAO Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations FFI Fauna and Flora International IUCN The World Conservation Union GOs Governmental Organizations MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries NGOs Non Governmental Organizations RCG Royal Government of Cambodia WCS Wildlife Conservation Society WWF World Wild Fund for Nature 1. Justification A. Introduction In the Indochina Region, a number of tree species are vulnerable to extinction at the species and population levels. It is also recognized that the maintenance of forest genetic resources is essential to sustainable development. Thus various countries are endeavouring to conserve the genetic diversity of useful and economically important tree species that are native to the region. B1 1

2 The first list of 21 priority tree species for gene conservation in Cambodia was established during the Second Forest Gene Conservation Meeting on January 29, The identification and selection of priority tree species was based on the value of present and future uses of various plants, their relevance to contemporary tree planting programmes and subsistence economies, as well as their conservation status. The aim of this paper is to provide a descriptive profile of selected priority species regarding their natural history, ecological requirements, natural distributions, presentday distributions, uses, genetic characteristics, vulnerabilities, and conservation status. B. Historical Background of the Cambodian Forestry Sector Whilst most countries of Indochina have lost a major portion of their productive forests, Cambodia has proven able to conserve a large portion of its natural forests until recent times. As the country emerged from its tragic experimentations with communism during the 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s witnessed the deleterious effects of unbridled logging programs. As demand for Cambodian timber increased, so too did extractions, and at unsustainable levels. Even though the primary forest owner, the State, had long been responsible for the maintenance and regulation of sustainable forestry practices, the increase in timber production quickly exceeded the capacity of the forests to regenerate. Table 1: Change in Forest Cover by Forest Type: Forest Type ,000 ha 1,000 ha 1,000 ha 1,000 ha 1,000 ha Dry Land Forests 12, , , , ,230.1 Edaphic Forests , Total 13, % 12, % 11, % 11, % 10, % Source: FA, 1998, Ex M Secretariat, 1969, FAO, 1994, Mekong River Commission/GTZ Regional Project, As late as 1969, forests covered around 13.2 million hectares, or 73% of the country's total land area (Fraser Thomas at al., 2000). But according to recent estimates undertaken by the GTZ/MRC Forest Cover Monitoring Project based on 1996/1997 satellite imagery, forest cover has diminished to only 10.5 million ha, or 58% of the total land area, and much of this is degraded. Estimates now indicate that commercial management is only feasible in less than 4 million ha of the forest area. About 33% of the forest area has been "set aside" as protected areas, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment (Fraser Thomas at al., 2000). The remaining permanent forest reserves have been placed under the management of the MAFF. Timber production, processing, and trade support various lucrative enterprises in Cambodia. At every level of the system there have been temptations and opportunities for officials and other stakeholders to gain income outside of formal commercial processes. Such abuses have created a difficult environment for the fair exchange between the private sector and the State, and for an effective selfregulating market of forest products. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has taken action to address the issue of forest reform, and has achieved remarkable success. Table 2 shows the effect of a new government policy that B1 2

3 was established in 1997, which prohibits round log exports in order to promote local processing. By early 1999, 12 concession agreements had been cancelled, illegal logging had been reduced, equipment and illegally harvested logs and wildlife had been seized, hundreds of sawmills have been closed, and new policies and legal initiatives had been introduced. In 1999, the RGC, with international assistance, established a forest crimemonitoring unit, began a review of concession areas to check contractual compliance. Table 2: Export of Forest Products from Cambodia ( ) Year Log (m³) 80, , , ,673 Sawn Timber (m³) 150, ,555 99,449 69,042 71,662 55,983 9,828 Veneer (m³) 28, , ,909 68,320 Plywood (m³) 16,418 14,865 Source: Planning and Accounting Office, FA, 2000 Despite these efforts, the Asian Development Bank described the Cambodian forestry sector as a "total system failure" in a 1999 report, and demanded that concessions should face termination unless they underwent radical reformation. Concessionaires were asked to produce environmental impact assessments for longterm forest management plans by September 30, Unfortunately, none of the concessionaires proved able to fulfil this obligation. Faced with mounting domestic and international criticism relating to the destruction of Cambodia s forests, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the suspension of all logging operations, which he put into effect on January 1, This decision was applauded by many different organizations. But in order for law to be meaningful, logging companies which have committed contractual breaches (particularly with regard to illegal logging) should not be allowed to resume activities. And indeed, all 17 concessionaires fall under this clause. As the country's forest resources are depleted, seed sources and gene pools continue to be degraded. In order to promote sustainable forest management, gene conservation is critical, especially for those species which are now threatened or endangered. Experience in the region has shown that one of the most efficient ways to conserve species is to bring them into sustainable use. Thus, conservation should be linked to economic use (CTSP, 2002). 2. Botanical Work in Cambodia Generally speaking, botanical work in Cambodia has been very limited. Until recently, our understanding of the country's flora and vegetation reflected the ad hoc activities of a small number of botanists and foresters. Most of these authors have studied a limited number of vegetation types, sites, or ethnobotanical aspects of Khmer culture, and most of these works were produced before the political and economic implosion of Cambodia in the 1970s. Investigations in Cambodia and other parts of French Indochina commenced in the latter part of the nineteenth century, leading to the publication of seven volumes of the definitive Flore Generale de B1 3

4 l'indochine (Lecompte ). These volumes describe over 8,000 species from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Supplementary volumes commenced in 1964, with the publication of the Flore du Camboge, Laos et Vietnam. By 1994, 27 volumes addressing 71 of the 164 families were published. Dy Phon (1981, 1982) indicates that Cambodia possesses 2,308 of the 8,000 species described in the Flore Generale de l'indochine. These 2,308 species belong to 852 genera in 164 families, and include: Gymnosperms: 7 genera 14 species Monocotyledons: 219 genera 488 species Dicotyledons: 626 genera 1,806 species Taxonomic revisions that have been published over the last few decades suggest that many more species will certainly be discovered. Current estimates place the total number of plant species in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam from 12,00015,000 (IUCN, 1995). The full list for Cambodia is expected to exceed 3,000 species (Dy Phon, 2002, pers. comm.), with expectations that at least 700 additional species will be described as new to science in the country. It may be assumed that a minimum of ten percent of these species will be endemic to the country. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre 2000 estimates 8260 plant species in Cambodia, 10% endemic of which will be endemic. There is, therefore, still considerable scope for further documentation of the flora of Indochina. This is thought to be particularly true for Cambodia, which has never undertaken a systematic, national inventory of its flora. Dy Phon (1970, 1971) provides the only systematic vegetation survey that considers all vascular flora of an area. Her treatise of the flora and vegetation of the Bay of Kampong Som, Phnom Bokor of the Elephant Mountains, and the Kirirum plateau, as well as Ashton's (1964) brief descriptions of the coastal hinterlands of the Cardamom Mountains, represent the more substantial botanical works in Cambodia. Dy Phon's work has been complemented by a range of forest inventories and surveys of medicinal and other useful plants (eg. Ashton 1964; Eav Bov Bang 1970; FAO 1970; Martin 1973, 1997; and Rollet 1962, 1972a, 1972b and 1972c). Forest inventories were not accompanied by assessments of the full range of plant resources, and no naturalist has ever described forest areas over 1,100 meters elevation in Cambodia. Rollet (1972c) provides, however, a preliminary listing of some common genera at higher altitudes. Legris and Blasco (1971, 1972) and Dy Phon (1981) have synthesise much of this information to provide a national overview of Cambodia's vegetation types and their principle species. More recently, McDonald et al. (1997) conducted a detailed survey of the flora of the Tonle Sap floodplain, and in 1998, FAO undertook the establishment of a forest inventory process with MAFF/FA. From 1998 to the present, the FA, in cooperation with international environmental NGOs such as FFI, ARA, CAT, WCS, WWF, and CI, have conducted conservation surveys. The result of these activities has led to some updates to the Cambodian check list of especially fauna, and to lesser extent of flora. They have also established three new protected zones in the Cardamom Mountain region. Cambodian forests are dominated by species of Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminosae, Lythraceae, or Fagaceae, and in some places Pinaceae, Podocarpaceae, or bamboo. Lowland floras of Cambodia are typical of the Indochinese Floristic Province (and as such, contrasts with that of Chinese, IndoBurmese, and IndoMalayan Biogeographical Provinces), whilst the highland floras share a closer affinity with those of the IndoMalayan region (Dy Phon 1982). Legris and Blasco's (1972) vegetation map remains the most ecologically sensible map for Cambodian forests, even though considerable deforestation and degradation has occurred since the time B1 4

5 of their study. This earlier map has recently been reviewed, and is commercially available through the French company ECOCART, though not yet available in Cambodia. Whilst in recent times botanical research has increased, many species are yet to be documented. In view of the rapid depletion of the forest resources, such work is of great importance in order to identify useful species before they are lost. Such information will lead to the identification of appropriate options for different forest management systems. 3. Conclusions: High market prices and demands for commercial trees are leading to the extinction of rare and endangered species in Cambodia. As forest resources continue to be depleted, indigenous seed sources are also degraded, thereby reducing potentials of forest regeneration in Cambodia. In order to begin to address this issue, 21 tree species have been selected for gene conservation. Gaps in our current knowledge of priority species are evident in this document; and in addition, botanical studies indicate that many species within the country have not been documented. It is possible, therefore, that other economically valuable species exist, about which nothing is known. Cambodian Forestry Law protects 10 of the 21 priority tree species, yet they continue to be exploited due to a lack of law enforcement. Human and financial resources remain very limited within the country, but it is important to strengthen capacity for gene conservation and reforestation activities in order to better manage and conserve priority species and to sustain the natural resource base. Without such measures, future generations may not have the chance to benefit from these species. The problems facing Cambodia's forest are too large for any one group to tackle alone. Working in partnership is crucial to the success of sustainable forest management, and builds on the longstanding partnership between related stakeholders GOs & NGOs. 4. General Recommendations: 4.1. Law Enforcement and Stakeholder Cooperation: *Future commercial forestry operations should be conducted in a sustainable manner to the highest international standards. These activities should be coordinated with biodiversity conservation initiatives, and particularly forest gene conservation. In the meantime, logging operators should be required to follow Cambodia's evolving Code of Practice. *Cambodia should seek international cooperation, particularly with neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia, to eliminate the illegal crossborder logging trade. All of these countries share similar difficulties in controlling illegal trade both within and between their borders, and it is in the common interest to coordinate efforts to tackle this problem at a regional level Research and Capacity Building *The forestry sector should design programmes that provide support in building capacity in forest gene conservation issues and sustainable forest management for key stakeholders. These activities should include: a) Assessments of training and development needs for key groups and individuals, leading to institutional and individual development programmes. B1 5

6 b) Specific training courses are needed in various areas of forest management. Key needs so far identified are plant inventory methods, biodiversity surveys, reforestation, seed handling & propagation, biodiversity conservation, and law enforcement. *A comprehensive inventory is required to determine the species distribution within Cambodia and characteristics of the trees and stands. *Basic assistance for further research and tree improvement is needed. *A botanical garden should be established, possibly one that is based in the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre and Botanical Garden. Ideally it would be desirable if 500 individual trees of each of the 21 priority species for gene conservation were conserved. These should originate from different ecological zones of Cambodia. It is important to keep provenances from different ecological zones isolated from each other to prevent crossfertilisation; otherwise the unique genetic makeup of each provenance will be lost in the next generation. This garden may play a crucial role as: a) Nursery Centre: to act as the seedling source for the 21 priority tree species, in addition to other species. b) Demonstration Plot: to grow the 21 priority tree species. c) Research Centre: for research on germination, growth conditions, increment rate, vegetative reproduction, vegetative propagation s. of the 21 priority tree species d) Education Centre 4.3. Participation of Stakeholders in Forest Gene Conservation *Increase awareness and understanding of the value of the sustainable use of forest resources among local communities, decisionmakers, and the donor community. Develop procedures for tree planting/seed handling within concessions and in communities, to contribute to the implementation of sustainable forest management. *Increase local ownership or involvement in sustainable forest resource use. Sustainable forest management is more effective where local people can see tangible benefits and feel as though they are an integral part of the process. *Encourage people to plant indigenous trees, particularly the 21 priority species of Cambodia. B1 6

7 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ang.C.S, Sloth A, Soktha, M, 2002, Progress Report No.8, Cambodian Tree Seed Project. Ashton, P.S., 1964, Inventaire Forestier des Terres Basses du versant Occidental des Monts Cardamoms, Cambodge.: L'Ecologie Sylivicole el la Botanique Forestiere. UNDP/FAO FO:SF/CAM 6/ Rapport Technique 5. Brandis, D, 1987, Indian Trees, London Cambodia Forestry Law No. 35, 25 th June CTSP, Cambodia Tree Seed Project (CTSP), 2001, Some Endangered Species of Cambodia, unpublished. CTSP, Cambodia Tree Seed Project (CTSP), 2002, Project Profile. Chheang Dany, Pilot Project "Timber Assessment of Timber Harvesting Performance in Concession in Cambodia : Post harvesting" Chheng Kim Sun, Problems with the Forest Concession Management System Government Analysis David, A., Meng Monyrak, Ros Bansok, Khov Eang Hout, Em Thol and Sok Vong, 1999, An Introduction to the Ecological Survey of Forest Vegetation, MoE/IUCN Plant Resource Assessment Project. Department of Forestry & Wildlife/ Planning & Accounting Office, Annual Report Department of Forestry & Wildlife, 1997, Forestry & Wildlife Magazine, No 15 Department of Forestry & Wildlife, 2000, Forestry and Wildlife Magazine, No 22 Department of Forestry & Wildlife (FA), 2000, Forestry & Wildlife Magazine, No.23 Department of Forestry & Wildlife, Guidelines For Sustainable Forest management. FA, 2002 (draft), List of Trade Names of Commercial Wood in Cambodia, Trade Names of Commercial Wood, unpublished Dorthe Joker, 2002, Seed Leaflet No.6. Afzelia xylocarpa (Kruz.) Craib. Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), September. Dorthe Joker, 2000, Seed Leaflet No.26, Dalbergia cochinchinensis Pierre. Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), September. Dorthe Joker, 2000, Seed Leaflet No. 41, Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz., Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), September Dorthe Joker, 2000, Seed Leaflet No. 7, Albizzia lebbeck (L) Benth, Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), September Dorthe Joker, 2000, Seed Leaflet, No. 49, Hopea odorata Roxb., Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), November Dy Phon, P., 1970, La Végétation du Sudouest du Cambodge: Secteur Baie de Kampong Som, Chaine de l'elephant et Plateau de Kirirum. Ann. Fac. Sc. Phnom Penh No. 3: Dy Phon, P., 1971, La Végétation du Sudouest du Cambodge: Secteur Baie de Kampong Som, Chaine de l'elephant et Plateau de Kirirum. Ann. Fac. Ac. Phnom Penh No. 4. pp 177. Dy Phon, P., 1981, Contribution a l'etude de la Vegetation du Cambodge. Ph.D Thesis, Universite de Paris Sud, Centre d'orsay, Paris. Dy Phon, P., 1982, Végétation du Cambodge: endemisme et affinités de sa flore avec les région voisines, C.R. Séances Soc. Biogéogr, 58 (3): Dy Phon, 2000, Dictionary of Plants used in Cambodia Eav Bov Bang, 1970, Contribution a l'etude de l'amenagement de la Reserve des Phnoms Koulen et de Kohker. Mémoire de Fin d'etudes, Universite des Science Agronomiques, Faculte des science Forestrieres, Phnom Penh. FAO, 1970, Forest Survey of the Lowlands West of the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia. Final Report. UNDP/ FAO. FAO/ SF. 91/ CAM6. B1 7

8 FAO, 1985, Dipterocarps of South Asia, International Year of the Forest, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific. FAO, 1998, Report on Establishment of Forest Resources Inventory Process in Cambodia, Forestry Administration, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March. Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), 1996, Vietnam Forest Trees, Hanoi. Fraser Thomas, GFAAGRAR, ANZDEC, Cambodia Forest Concession Review Report. IUCN, 1995, Centres of Plant Diversity, Volume 2 Australia, Asia and the Pacific, IUCN The World Conservation Union. Jajat Hidayat and Christian P. Hansen (Indonesia Forest Seed Project), 2002, Seed Leaflet No. 60, Pinus merkusii Jungh et de Vries, Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), January Lecompte, H., , Flore General de l'indochine, Vols 19, Paris. Legris, P. and Blasco, F., 1971, Carté International du Tapis Végétal et des Conditions Écologiques au Cambodge, 1/1,000,000. Trav. Sect. Scient. Techn. Inst. Fr. Pondichéry, Hors sér. 11: Legris, P. and Blasco, F., 1972, La Végétation Naturelle, in "Notice de la Carte du Cambodge". (Carté International du Tapis Végétal et des Conditions Écologiques au Cambodge, 1/1,000,000.) Trav. Sect. Scient. Techn. Inst. Fr. Pondichéry, Hors sér. 11: 1238 Martin, M.A., 1973, Notes on the Vegetation of the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia, in Garden's Bulletin XXVI (II): , Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique de Paris. McDonald, J.A., 1997, Flora and Vegetation Types of the Bokor Plateau: Its Significance to Conservation Initiatives in the Elephant Mountains, SPEC (Support Program to the Environmental Sector in Cambodia), European Commission, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. McDonald, J.A., 1998 (Draft), Herbarium Development and Forest Inventory Capacitation in Cambodia, FORTECH and British Embassy, Phnom Penh. McDonald, J.A., Pech, B., Phauk, V., and Leeu, B., 1997, Plant Communities of the Tonle Sap Floodplain, UNESCO, IUCN and Wetland International, Phnom Penh. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 1986, Decision No. 050 SSR.KSK: Wood Classification and Minimum Diameter for Allowable Cutting, 12 th September. Nguyen Hoang Nghia, 2000, Some Threatened Species of Vietnam. Rollét, B., 1962, Inventaire Forestiere de l'est Mékong, Rapport au Gouvernement Cambodge. Program Élargi d'assistance Technique FAO No.1500, FAO, Rome. Rollét, B., 1972a, La Végétation du Cambodge, Bois Foréts des Tropiques, No Rollét, B., 1972b, La Végétation du Cambodge, Bois Foréts des Tropiques, No Rollét, B., 1972c, La Végétation du Cambodge, Bois Foréts des Tropiques, No Singadan, M., Yelu, W., Beko, J., Bosimbi, D., and Boland, D., 2001, Some Aspects of the Eaglewood Trade in Papua New Guinea. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 2002, Red List for Cambodia. Zich, F.A., and Compton J., 2001, The Final Frontier: Towards Sustainable Management of Papua New Guinea's Agarwood Resource, TRAFFIC Oceania, WWF South Pacific Programme. B1 8