Description of plantation resources
Introduction
Eighty percent of the forest land belongs to the state. The plantation area covers less than one percent of the land area, while plantations in the Sierra region account for about 90 percent of the total plantation area. (FAO, 1999).
Ecuador has been self-sufficient in forest products due to its rich forest resources. However, this situation is being reversed because of over-exploitation of natural forests (FAO, 1999). Plantations are considered a means to ease the effects of deforestation, since they can produce up to ten times more timber than natural forests (GE, 1996).
Development of forest plantations
The establishment of plantations started in 1894. Since then until 1967, 19 900 ha of plantations were established, mainly with Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata. Harvesting started in the 1950s (INEFAN, 1996).
In 1993, the Plan Nacional de Fomento a las Plantaciones Forestales (PLANFOR) was established. This programme promotes plantations by providing incentives for private landowners to cover the cost of plantation establishment and maintenance. To 1997, the area established under this programme was 15 266 ha (INEFAN, 1998). By 1985 the total plantation area had reached about 60 000 ha (FAO, 1999).
Species composition
About half of plantations are planted with Eucalyptus spp., mainly Eucalyptus globulus and E. saligna.
Pinus spp., P. radiata and P. patula total about 40 percent. The rest is composed of Cordia alliodora, Ochroma lagopus, Cupressus lusitanica, etc. (INEFAN, 1996). Recently, Ochroma spp. has become a popular plantation species because of its lightness and insulation properties. It is used for panels and lumber (Boyd, 1998).
Trend
The potential area for establishing plantations has been estimated in approximately 2.5 million ha. The government aims to meet 20 percent of the national roundwood demand; 60 percent of sawtimber requirements and the total demand for poles and particle board from plantations by the year 2005. Thus, most of new plantations will be established for industrial purposes. In the future, it is estimated that wood from plantations will account for a much larger percentage of the wood for export and for national consumption. (Boyd, 1998 and GE, 1996).
Issues
No information available.
References
Boyd, E. 1998. A compilation of forest plantation statistics for selected African and Latin American countries. London, Oxford Forestry Institute.
FAO. 1999. Situación de la forestación y reforestación Ecuador, FRA-2000. By Zúñiga, S.T. (unpublished). Rome.
GE. 1996. Achievements, strategies and needs of Ecuador´s forestry sector. In First meeting with the representatives of donor agencies and countries. Quito, February, 1996. Quito. Government of Ecuador.
INEFAN. 1996. Principales estadísticas forestales del Ecuador. Quito. Instituto Ecuatoriano Forestal y de Áreas Naturales y Vida Silvestre.
INEFAN. 1998. Situación político-institucional del sector forestal en el Ecuador 1996-1997. In Latin American Forestry Commission, 20th session. La Habana, 10-14 September, 1998. Quito. Instituto Ecuatoriano Forestal y de Áreas Naturales y Vida Silvestre.
ISA. 1999. Oil World Annual 1999. Hamburg, Germany. Internationale Statistische Agrarinformationen.