Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center Tropical/pdf/Talks/Ko… · • Current status of center Tropical HTIRC • Result of pressing need from – Conservation

Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center

Nick Koch, Forest Solutions Inc

Charles Michler, USDS FS, Purdue, DirectorMichael Constantinides, USDA NRCSChristian Giardina, USDA FS IPIF

Creighton Litton, UH Mānoa NREMJ. B. Friday, UH Mānoa CTAHR Cooperative Extension

Bob Masuda, UHMike Robinson, Dept. of Hawaiʻian Homelands

William Steiner, UH Hilo CAFNRM

• About center• Why improve native trees?• Why koa?• Landowner perspective on koa reforestation• Current status of center

Tropical HTIRC

• Result of pressing need from– Conservation groups– State and Federal agencies– Private landowners

• Goal– To increased forest productivity in restoration and reforesta on programs in Hawaiʻi and Pacific Rim

HTIRC: A private – public research partnership

• USDA Forest Service:– Northern Research Station– Pacific Southwest Research

Station– Region 5 (Washington and

Oregon)– Region 6 (California, Hawai‘i, and

the Pacific Islands)• USDA Natural Resources

Conservation Service• Purdue University• University of Hawai‘i at

Mānoa• University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Public and private partners

• Department of HawaiʻianHome Lands

• DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife

• American Forest Management• Forestry Management

Consultants • Forest Solutions • Future Forests Nursery, LLC • Hawai‘i Agricultural Research

Center • Hawai‘i Forest Industry

Association • The Nature Conservancy

• The Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center www.htirc.org

• Partnership between USDA Forest Service and Purdue University with local forest industry

• Currently ten scientists in genetics, physiology, entomology, silviculture, seed biology, and forest ecology, both Purdue and Forest Service

• Active extension program• Initial focus on black walnut

Based on the success another research center

• For production and utilization– Growth rate– Form– Wood quality

• For conservation and restoration– Genetics

• Disease resistance, esp. at lower elevations, environmental tolerance

– Silviculture• Improved yields result in more native forest cover

Why “improve” native trees?

Production: Improve yield

Production: Increase quality

Conservation: Disease resistance

Conservation: Efficient restoration practices

• Together with ohiʻa, it is the most important forest tree in Hawaiʻi

• Serves as both a pioneer and climax species• Fixes nitrogen• Habitat species

– Nesting (broad limb architecture)– Feeding (bark & cavities)

Why koa? Ecological importance

Ecological importance

• Clear wood is valuable– 1986 ‐ $ 0.15 per board foot stumpage (Skolmen)– 1990 ‐ $ 0.17 per board foot stumpage (Warner)– 2011 ‐ $ 3.50 per board foot stumpage (Quinn)– 230 % increase in 25 years – over 100% real price increase

• Most important native commercial species– Combines acceptable growth rate with high value– Can be regenerated easily– Economic driver of native reforestation projects

Why koa? Economic importance

Koa retail wood prices are high and climbing

Koa: Green DrySelect: 4/4 $13/bf $14/bfSelect 8/4 $15/bf $17/bfPremium selects 8/4 $18/bf $20/bf

Qtr Sawn add $2.00 $20/bf $22/bfShorts, narrows and commons 3’‐5’ $9/bf $10/bf

Upper grade 8/4 3’‐6’ 7’+ DryingSelect and better slabs (16” & Wider) $25/bf $35/bf $2/bfSelect and light curl 2A $25 $30 $1/bfMedium Curl 3A $30 $35 $1/bfPremium curl/instrument4A $41 $50 $1/bfPremium curl/instrument 5A $57 $70

$1/bfFor 4/4 deduct 20%

Source: Hawaii Island Hardwoods, Oct 2011

Weighted average value of koa $ 21.52/ bdft

Koa Price PercentGrade US $ / bdft of yield

Hyper curl $150.00 No experience5A $65.00 1% Probably less than 1%4A $60.00 3%3A $40.00 10%2A $30.00 25%Select long $18.00 14% 7' and longerSelect short $15.00 27%Commons $5.00 20%Weighted retail avg. 21.52$

Comments

• Koa was extensively used in pre‐contact Hawai’i– Large trees were used to build canoes – Clubs, tool and implements were derived from koa

• Koa wood is still almost entirely used within Hawaiʻi– Tie to the land / local product– Scarce resource

Why koa? Social importance

Social importance of koa

• Only species of Acaciana ve to Hawaiʻi

• Distribution– 1000 – 7000 ft elevation – Rainfall typically between 75 – 100 in / yr

– Usually found in mixed stands with Ohi’a(Metrosideros polymorpha)

More about koa

If koa is so valuable why is it declining?

P Scowcroft

• Financial viability

• Koa yields are not sufficient to justify establishment and tending costs

The problem with native forest managment

• Started with a known cost of establishment – $ 2,191 / ac – everything included

• Added several productivity values– Calculated PV of predicted future harvest– Focus on merchantable wood volume– Used current koa stumpage values with no real price appreciation

Financial analysis of a koa plantation

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Rotation (years)

Present value of planted koa forest in former pasture based on rotation length and productivity

MAI = 800 bdft/ac/yr10 m3/ha/yr

MAI = 400 bdft/ac/yr5 m3 /ha/yr

<Establishment cost $ 2,191>

MAI = 200 bdft/ac/yr2.5 m3 /ha/yr


Cattle grazing @ $ 50/ac/yr

OPTIMISTIC

PESSIMISTIC

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Increase productivity

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Improve quality

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Decrease establishment cost

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Shorten rotation

Landowner perspective on research center

• Decrease UNCERTAINTY– How much merchantable wood will land produce?– How long will it take? Can I get the seeds needed?– What are the SOPs for the development of a koa stand?

• Mitigate threats– Koa wilt, Acacia psyllid, rust, climate change

• Improve information availability – Pictures – demonstration plots – How to videos– Financial returns based on realistic assumptions

• People capital – local knowledge– Availability of experts in the field with field experience

• Increase seed availability

• Develop seed orchards

• Develop improved nursery production methods

• Network with public and private nurseries

Area of research – Nursery production

• Develop site selection guidelines

• Link nursery practices with field performance

• Improve site preparation• Improve weed control• Improve seedling nutrition

Area of research – Silviculture

– Investigate genetic diversity of koa and other trees

– Develop standardized seed collection zones

– Develop molecular tools to ID important traits

– Select and breed for improved characteristics (growth, environmental tolerances, disease resistance, wood quality)

– Develop vegetative propagation techniques

Area of research – Genetics

Variability of heartwood from 15 year old scarified koa stand‐ There is still a long way to go in research!

Genetic uncertainty

• “Domestication” of valuable cultural trees such as Calophylluminophyllum ‐ kamani

• Restoration of badlands

Future Benefits to Pacific Islands

• Funded– $400,000 USDA FS support– UH CTAHR $10,000– McIntire‐Stennis– Cooke foundation– Sloane foundation

• Pending– USDA SARE $260,000– Atherton Foundation– Wallace Foundation

• Progress– Seed orchards (O Rueda)– Developing fusariumresistance in Koa (N Dudley)

– Wood quality in young koa trees (E Lowell)

– Improving seedling stock (D Jacobs, J Pinto)

Progress and Support

TropHTIRC.org

• For production and utilization– Growth rate & form– Wood quality

• For conservation and restoration– Genetics– Silviculture

Why “improve” native trees?

Mahalo&

Questions

Documents

Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center Tropical/pdf/Talks/Ko… · • Current status of center Tropical HTIRC • Result of pressing need from – Conservation