Teak Origins, Management and Use in the World’s Forests

1. TeakOrigins, Management and Use in the World’s Forests Ashley Flint, Melanie Fowler, Sarah Johnson, and Chet Miller

2. What we wanted to learn • Where Teak is from and where its grown • Where Teak is managed for commercial timber harvest • Differences in management from the past to today • What Teak is used for

3. Overview • Species – Teak • Origins • Past Management • Present Management • Current Use of Teak

4. Teak, Tectona gradis • Order: Lamiales • Family: Lamiaceae (mint) • Genus: Tectona J.M.Garg • Deciduous • Dominant in mixed hardwood forests • Can grow up to 130 feet • Insect pollinated flowers KrishDulal Amrith Raj

5. Origins • Native to South and Southeast Asia • India, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma • First cultivated for wood production in 14th Century in Indonesia • First plantations planted in Myanmar in the 1700’s • Plantations were found in India in the 1800’s and Thailand in 1906

6. Past Management • First managed commercially in 1850’s • British brought German botanists to develop sustainable harvest plans • Early 1900’s teak forests were planted in Africa and soon later, South America • Rotation age of 120-150 years • Teak production grew from 1950 to 1990 • Since 1990, growth has remained slow • Lots of incomplete or inaccurate data because of the large amount of plantations in developing countries

7. Present Management theniles.org • 43 countries • 29 million hectares of natural forest • 4.35 million hectares of plantations • Plantations in Asia and Africa primarily owned by the government • In Americas, private landowners account for about 90% • 83% of plantations in Asia,11% in Africa,6% in the Americas • India, Indonesia, & Myanmar produce 60% of global teak • Teak only accounts for 2% of tropical roundwood market

8. Current Use of Teak • Popular due to aesthetic qualities and durability • Teak is exported worldwide from Asian countries such as Indonesia, India, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand • Indonesia & India are the largest consumers of Teak • Used for furniture, shipbuilding, and decoration for various building components goldenteak.com cockpitabbles.com

9. Summary • Deciduous tree native to Southeast Asia • Long history of wood production back to the 14th Century • Past commercial management since the 1850’s • Now commercially harvested in 43 countries • Known for its beautiful grain and durability • Used and exported worldwide

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