THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

COUNTRY REPORT: FORESTRY OUTLOOK STUDY FOR THE CARIBBEAN

by

Mañón R., Bernabe and Cuevas R., Francisco

INTRODUCTION

In spite of the efforts made during the last thirty years in the Dominican Republic by government as well as civil society groups and international agencies, to improve the forest situation of the country, there are indications that very little has been possible to achieve toward national forest development.

It is important to point out that the only forest inventory carried out in the country dates back to 1973, and therefore most of the figures that are reported come from estimates. Government is trying to get international support to carry out a forest inventory that will allow to determine the situation of the forest resources of the country objectively.

In this document the forest situation of the country is presented based on existing literature, like internal reports of public and private institutions related to forest activities in the DR.

EVOLUTION OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR

To the arrival of the Spaniards in year 1492, the entire territory of what is today the Dominican Republic was practically covered with exuberant arboreal vegetation and during the whole time of the colony, the forests of the Dominican Republic constituted a great source of wood for Europe, mainly for Spain.

During the first stage of the republican era and later on during the well-known Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961), the forests of the country were further subjected to exploitation for the benefit of the dictator as well as those officials close to government. It may be affirmed that many of the big fortunes shown today by wealthy families of the country, had their origin in the forests of the Dominican Republic. It is necessary to highlight that until the decade of 1940, deforestation was considered a need for progress of civilization and for the practice of modern agriculture.

In 1962, after Trujillo's execution in May of 1961, with the birth of democracy, forestry law 5856 was enacted for forest and fruit-bearing trees conservation, that sought control of the overexploitation to which forests were subjected. Nonetheless, overexploitation continued as a consequence of the great quantity of sawmills that existed (around 160) in the country at that moment .

In 1967 a natural resources survey was carried out by the Organization of American States (OAS) that established that the country was not "eminently agricultural" but for the most part of forest vocation with 67% of its territory and that only 11.7% of the national territory was covered with forests.

The executive branch of government decreed the closing of all sawmills.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR

LIFE ZONES

Of all the Antilles, the Española holds the wider variety of climates and environments. Duarte's peak is the highest point (3 087m.s.n.m.) and lake Enriquillo, the lowest (40 meters under the level of the sea). The climatic differences that are given in the country are impressive for a surface area so limited (48 442 km²).

In the Dominican Republic there are nine areas life zones and six transition areas. Two of the life zones are low lands that comprise 68% of the country. In the south-west and the north-west dry conditions are given, almost deserts, while in the northern and central mountainous regions, a lot of rain exist.

On the other hand, the biological diversity of the Española is reflected in its great floristic wealth, certainly the richest of the Antilles. Is considered that approximately 36% of the 5 600 flora species of the island is endemic.

FOREST LANDS

The Dominican Republic has a great forest potential due to the excellent climate and the privileged geographical location of the country, conditions that favour the development a sustainable forest industry based on the rational utilisation of natural forests and the existing plantations, all of which contributes to rescue the restoration of deteriorated forests, to increase growth potential and to create new employment.

Studies carried out by the Organization of American states (OAS) in 1966, established that approximately 67% of the national territory (3 197 400 hectares) was of preferential forest vocation and 629 000 hectares were covered with conifers and broadleaves forests.

FOREST COVER

The forest cover of the country has been evaluated in several occasions, beginning in 1967. Two of forest studies, the OAS (1967) and FAO (1973) are contradictory, which may explained by the use of different methodologies. The study of the OAS (1967) calculate that there were 5 570 km² of commercial forests; that of FAO (1973) classify as forests almost the double of the OAS estimate. The figure given by FAO of 3 350 km² of non-disturbed forests is around 40% smaller than the area of commercial forests calculated by the OAS.

The FAO survey is the only itemized study of the forest surface, based on aerial photographs taken for the purpose and supplemented with field sampling.

PROTECTED AREAS

Up to 1998 the protected wild areas covered a surface of near 9 045 km² which represents 18.7% of the country, divided in the following categories: 32 national parks, 4 scientific reserves, 2 historical parks and a panoramic view. Near 70% of the existing dense forest of the country is located in the national parks and forest reserves.

FOREST PLANTATIONS

Forest plantations in the Dominican Republic, up to present, has not had proper development. The possibility of rural development through the forestry sector, has been underestimated and it should contribute to alleviate the pressure on foreign trade balance, either through substitution of imports or by export of forest products.

The first forest plantations of significant size were established in 1969 by the Forestry General Directorate with protection and production purpose. Up to 1984 forest plantations were carried out mainly by government.

According to the forestry action plan for the DR (PAFRD, 1991) up to 1984 the total surface reforested was of 6 177 hectares.

So far, around 35 000 hectares have been planted, of which 10 thousand have been achieved in the last two years (1997-99), but due factors like the occurrence of hurricane Georges, the area covered with forest plantations is considered to be below the 30 000 hectares at the moment.

The most widely planted species are the native pine (Pinus occidentalis) for altitudes over 1 000 above sea level; Honduran pine (Pinus caribaea var hondurensis) and Acacia mangium for altitudes below the 1 000 masl. Other species are Swietenia mahagoni, Cedrela odorata, Callophyllum calaba and Eucalyptus sp.

FOREST SEEDS AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

The DR has advanced in the techniques of seedling production in nurseries, but the production of necessary germplasm has not developed well enough.

Up to 1993, except for some cases, seed gathering did not take into account the sources of production. Starting that year and with the cooperation of PROSEFOR the forest seed bank was established in the FGD and selection and registration of seed sources was started in the country. For 1996, 19 registered sources seeds of four different species existed (pinus caribaea, pinus occidentalis, callophylum calaba and acacia mangium). Some of those sources have disappeared and others have been added to the list. Hurricane Georges which occurred in September 1998 affected some seed production areas that should cover the demand for 1999.

PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF FOREST PRODUCTS

Charcoal

Consumption of forest products in the DR, widely dominated by charcoal and firewood until the end of the 80's and the beginning of the 90's has changed drastically in the last few years, being located at present at a very low use level as source of energy by the population of the country.

In 1986 firewood and charcoal consumption was estimated at 3 million m³ per year and was projected to 4.3 millions for the year 2 000. However, the figures registered by the DGF show a significant decrease in the production and commercialization of charcoal.

Commercialization of charcoal in the Dominican Republic

Data: Memorias anuales de la DGF.

Sawnwood

The Dominican Republic imports annually around US$150 millions in sawn wood and other forestry related products. The level of import of forest products increases in the measure that the population grows and demand for forest products for the construction industry raises. This situation contributes to the deficit in foreign exchange that the nation maintains worsens the situation of the general economy. Consumption of round wood for the production of sawnwood for the period 1980-1984 was of 252 000 m³; while for 1994-1997 was of 560 000 m³. It is estimated that present demand has duplicated reaching 600 000m³ per year.

Most of the demand of wooden products for local consumption is supplied by imports.

INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS

Government sector

Up to earlier this year, national policy regarding the management of the forest resource was made by more than one state agency, like the Forest General Directorate, the Technical Forestry Commission, the National Parks Directorate, and other. Recently, forestry code 118-99 was enacted by government creating the National Institute for Forest Resources, which joins the first two of the above.

The capacity of government's institutions to appropriately face the problems of the sector is very reduced. Among the most important restrictions are:

­  low priority of the sector;

­  low budget;

­  limited technical capacity (insufficient qualified technical personnel);

­  institutional uncertainty;

­  lack of information (forest statistics);

­  absence of a forest extension service.

Non-government organizations (NGOs)

In the Dominican Republic numerous NGO's are devoted to the forest activities and the media develop a constant campaign in favour of conservation of forests and the environment that reflects, the sensibility of the population to the problems of conservation of the natural resources.

EDUCATION AND FORESTRY RESEARCH

The country lacks forestry professional personnel in quantity and quality. Also, at all levels, the formation in social sciences, economics and extension is very weak. Forestry research is, in general, scarce. There is a lack of technological packages to commercial scale for the main promising species.

PERSPECTIVES FOR THE SECTOR

Perspectives for the forestry sector of the country will be given by the new framework offered by the Forestry Code 118-99 recently enacted, which stresses the goal of integrating the rural and private sectors into restoration, management and sustainable utilisation of forests, taking into account social, economic and ecological aspects.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CRIES (Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System). A National Forestal Management Plan for the Dominican Republic. Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional de los Estados Unidos (A.I.D.). 1981.

Hartshorn et. al. La República Dominicana: Perfil Ambiental del país. Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional de los Estados Unidos (A.I.D.) . 1981.

Informe Nacional. Conferencia Mundial de las Naciones Unidas sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo. Brasil '92. Santo Domingo, 1991.

Memorias Anuales de la Dirección General Forestal 1988-1997.

Morell, M. Situación forestal en la República Dominicana. Fundación Progressio. Santo Domingo, 1984. 77p.

Peña, M y Tolentino, L. Inventario de la vegetación y uso de la tierra de la República Dominicana. Vol. 10 p. 179-203. 1998. Revista Moscosoa. Jardín Botánico Nacional. Santo Domingo.

Plan de Accion Forestal de la República Dominicana. Comisión Nacional Técnica Forestal y la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación. 1991.101p.