Scientists publish valuable forest inventory

By DOMINIC SENGI - The National

WHEN trees talk, mankind must pay attention, listen and take action, just as when the economy experiences shocks and is distressed and when an environmental pestilence sweeps the land.
Every nation must awaken to any potentially life-threatening scenario.
PNG politics and national life have not been keen to listen to the silent messages that the natural environment that surrounds this nation has been trying to convey to us such as through the revelations by the sciences through research and publications.
Do we in PNG have to wait till the last timber merchant ship cut anchor and disappear into the horizon after desertification and massive soil erosion occurs?
Kipiro Damas, a Morobean tree scientist and senior botanist at PNG Forestry Research Institute’s Lae National Herbarium, and his collaborating researcher Barry Conn have been studying trees in PNG for the last 10 years. In their bolstering three-volume book that was recently published entitled “Trees of Papua New Guinea” the two forest scientists have intervened through the publication – and for country – a comprehensive treatment of 688 species of trees (Volume 1: 257 species Vol 2: 246 species; Vol 3: 165 species) that will assist greatly in the identification of trees of PNG.
The co-authors have collaboratively produced a milestone document that filled a huge knowledge gap in the ability of this nation to make knowledge in the specific sector available to resource managers. The resource book will be of value to environmental scientists, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and extractive industries; it would especially serve the timber industry by assisting in the identification of major tree species of PNG.
Damas and Conn pull the angelus for PNG to rethink the way it manages its forest resource, either through regulation and policy or by merchandise. Do we stand still in reflection to see what we are doing to our trees and forests – oxygen-producing real estates as our share for the survival of humanity?

Co-authors Kipiro Dama and Barry Conn.

They describe that facts as well as the threats confronting PNG. They say the island of New Guinea has a high diversity of species and a high level of endemism or risk of extinction. From Samarai (PNG) to Sorong (Indonesia) the Island of New Guinea is home to more than 5 per cent of earth’s biodiversity in just over one half of a per cent of the land on earth.

“ The forest of Papua New Guinea needs to be managed sensitively and sustainably based on evidence-based knowledge.”

“New Guinea supports the largest area of mature tropical moist forest in the Asia-Pacific region,” said the authors.
Papua New Guinea alone inclusive of the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Buka and Bougainville play host to anything between 15,000 and 20,000 species of vascular plants with at least 2,000 species of trees.
However, the scientists warned in their books: “The most important challenge for Papua New Guinea is thus:

• Protection of biological diversity against pressures resulting from global climate change;
• Protection against inappropriate destructive conversion of natural communities;
• Unsustainable exploitation of forests;
• Unsustainable national economic and social demands;
• Unfair sharing of forest-derived national wealth; and
• Law and order issues and human security risks.

Without doubt, the tri-volume book will enable those who are responsible for natural resource management to improve their knowledge of the trees in PNG’s forests so that they can fully appreciate the richness of these biologically diverse forest nation.
“The forest of Papua New Guinea needs to be managed sensitively and sustainably based on evidence-based knowledge,” the authors said.

• Dominic Sengi is an independent journalist and diplomat currently working as Strategy and Foreign Policy Advisor at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

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