History

Forest management and silviculture

The Tongan archipelago was inhabited at least 3 000 years ago. The original vegetation comprised dense, lowland rainforest with a 20-30 metre canopy, a variety of lianas and epiphytes, and a sparse understorey. However, logging and clearing for settlements and cultivation exhausted nearly all of the most accessible forests some years ago (particularly on Tongatapu), leaving only moderate forest cover. Tonga´s major timber resource is now coconut palms.

In the 1950s, land was set aside for the development of forest farms and the government allocated 290 hectares on the island of ¿Eua to establish a forest plantation. Some planting began in 1958 and continued over a wide range of sites, with a large number of species. Species selection and silvicultural management are based on the performance of these early plantings. The Forest Act of 1961 established a Forestry Department and New Zealand worked closely with the Department to provide a range of forestry services from 1974 onwards. In 1982, some 3 800 hectares of forest reserve existed along the eastern ridge of ¿Eua. Subdivision of the area into tax ¿apis¿ (leases for agriculture), and deforestation by government and private logging, subsequently reduced the indigenous forest in these reserves. Large scale planting commenced in 1984, and in 1991 the government approved the further lease of 800 hectares of agricultural land for plantation forestry on ¿Eua.

last updated: Tuesday, November 24, 2009