In Central America, total planted area is approximately 225,000 ha, whereby 41,000 ha correspond to teak plantations (18.1% of the total planted area). The use of teak in planting projects increases at the beginning of the 1990s. As shown in Table 1, from the total area planted with teak, 57.5% has been planted in Costa Rica, 32.2% in Panama, 6.1% in El Salvador and 4.2% in Guatemala.
In most Central American countries the plantation process began at the end of the 1970s and was promoted by various international co-operation projects that did research during the 1980s. For example, the MADELEÑA project did it with multiple use species. Table 2 presents a list of the main species used in reforestation projects in Central America. Appendix 1 presents the total area planted in Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica.
Table 1. Total reforested area in Central America and planted area with teak (Tectona grandis)
|
Country |
Total Area (ha) |
Total Reforested Area (ha) |
Reforested Area with teak (ha) |
Period (years) |
|
Belize |
2,143,500 |
2,2451 |
Na |
Na |
|
Guatemala |
10,889,000 |
12,4442 |
1,7172 |
1990-1995 |
|
El Salvador |
2,097,000 |
6,5843 |
2,4888 |
Until 1996 |
|
Honduras |
11,249,200 |
8,6474 |
Na |
Until 1995 |
|
Nicaragua |
12,142,800 |
32,7545 |
Na |
1993-1996 |
|
Costa Rica |
5,113,300 |
135,4986 |
23,4756 |
1979-1997 |
|
Panama |
7,551,700 |
26,7247 |
13,1357 |
Until 1997 |
|
Total |
51,186,500 |
224,896 |
40,815 |
|
Source: 1 Toumasjukka (1996), 2 INAB (1998), 3 INCAE (1998), 4 SEGEPLAN et al (1996), 5 CAD et al (1997), 6 MINAE (1998), 7 INRENARE (1998), 8 Zambrana (1998), June, 1998.
Na = not available
Table 2. Main species used in reforestation projects in Central America
|
Country |
Main Species |
|
Guatemala |
Pinus caribaea, P. tenuifolia, P. oocarpa, P. Maximinoi, P. pseudostrobus, Cupressus lusitanica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Cedrela odorata 1 |
|
El Salvador |
Tectona grandis, Pinus caribaea, Eucalyptus sp., Cupressus lusitanica |
|
Nicaragua |
Gmelina arborea, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. urophylla, Gliricidia sepiun, Lysiloma seemanii, Simarouba amara 2 |
|
Honduras |
Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. grandis, E. teriticornis, Gliricidia sepium, Gmelina arborea, Leucaena leucocephala 1 |
|
Costa Rica |
Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Cordia alliodora, Bombacopsis quinatum, Eucalyptus deglupta, other natives. |
|
Panama |
Tectona grandis, Pinus caribaea, Eucalyptus spp. |
|
Belize |
Not available |
Source: INCAE (1998), 1 INAB (1998), 2 Galloway (1997) , June, 1998.
