INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Volume 10 Issue 2

April 2017

Editorial

In this edition of the bulletin, we would

like to inform that Dr. Walter Kollert

has retired from the service of Forestry

Department of FAO of the United

Nations, Rome. Ever since teak was

identified as a potential species for

hardwood plantations worldwide, there

has been tremendous effort by

researchers to predict the yield, quality

of logs produced and profitability of

teak plantations at shorter rotations of

20-30 years. This time we are provid-

ing a news item on ‘MiraSilv-2017’, a

trilingual (Spanish, Portuguese and

English) software developed originally

by Luis Ugalde of Costa Rica which

primarily consisting of an inventory

module for monitoring and evaluating

forest plantations and agro-forestry

systems including teak plantations, for

the benefit of our teak planters.

1

2

7

8

Information note: Dr. Walter

Kollert retired from FAO

New MiraSilv Software-2017

for Forestry and Agroforestry

Plantations: A Case study for

Teak Plantations

Conserving Teak for Future

Generations

Prices of Plantation Teak

Imported to India

As we discussed elaborately in previous columns, IUFRO-FAO-TEAKNET was in

constant dialogue with ITTO, Japan for support of a global study of teak genetic

resources; as part of it, an ex-post evaluation report on teak resources in

Myanmar has now been published in the recent issue of ITTO’s Tropical Forest

Update. A link to the full report has been given in this issue of bulletin.

We are happy to inform that TEAKNET will be organising a Partner Event ‘Teak

Resources for a Sustainable Future’ in association with the Teakwood Working

Party of IUFRO during 12-16 June in the upcoming IUFRO Division 5 Conference in

Vancouver. To view the full programme, please log on to http://www.iufrodiv5-

2017.ca/conference-program/program/. We are also bringing to you the teak

prices of plantation timbers imported to India; our regular column on teak prices

for the benefit of the readers. We welcome your valuable feedback and sugges-

tions, contributions of news items of interest to teak growers/traders and

researchers through our e-Newsletter.

With warm regards,

P.K. Thulasidas

TEAKNET Coordinator

Information note: Information note: Information note:

Dr. Walter Kollert retired from FAO, RomeDr. Walter Kollert retired from FAO, RomeDr. Walter Kollert retired from FAO, Rome

Dr. Walter Kollert retired from the Forestry

Department of FAO, Rome on 31 March 2017

after 7½ years of service. His professional

contributions to the forestry sector and

particularly to teak is highly appreciated by

the international teak community. Dr. Kollert

published a number of crucial articles on the

teak sector, among them the first compre-

hensive assessment of global teak resources

and markets that has been published by FAO

in 2012. In cooperation with TEAKNET and

other international partners, he was instrumental in organizing three World

Teak Conferences in Costa Rica (2011), Thailand (2013) and Ecuador (2015).

Lately, he organized the compilation and publication of a global teak study in

cooperation with IUFRO, ITTO and TEAKNET.

TEAKNET is pleased to inform that Dr. Kollert will continue to serve in the

TEAKNET Steering Committee to provide guidance for future endeavours.

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 2 of 8

New MiraSilv Software-2017 for Forestry and Agroforestry Plantations:

A Case study for Teak Plantations

Luis Ugalde Arias

International Forestry & Agroforestry – INFOA, Costa Rica

Modules of MiraSilv-2017 Software

Originally the MiraSilv was developed as part of doctoral research at the College of Forestry, University of

Minnesota, USA (Ugalde, 1988) and primarily consisted of the forest inventory module, now expanded and in

wide use throughout the world for monitoring and evaluating different forest plantations and agro-forestry

systems, including teak plantations. However, at their request and supported by a group of companies and

forestry projects that have been using this software for many years in different countries, a decision was made

to further expand the software. The new modules incorporated have been developed and put into practice with a

group of companies in recent years. The new version of MiraSilv-2017 is trilingual (Spanish, Portuguese and

English), can run single-user or in a network, and is composed of seven modules and other additional options as

shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The seven modules (in capital letters) and other options of the MiraSilv-2017

Forest Inventory

Based on measurements of permanent or temporary plots, the Forest Inventory module estimates total volume

and commercial volume of standing trees representing the forest assets of the company or forestry project.

Thinning can be simulated and reports and charts generated on diameter class distribution in growth and yield

at the level of measurement plot or stands of plantations.

Read more on page 3

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 3 of 8

Chain of Custody

The methodology consists of documenting Chain of Custody (CoC) from the last measurement of standing trees

in monitoring measurement plots (MP) located within a stand where trees to be thinned in each plot are felled,

or all of the trees in the case of a clear felling. Bucking of the felled trees produces logs in the dimensions

utilized by the company or the specifications of the buyer. The logs are measured in the field and can be classi-

fied or coded by log class (depending on defects and percent of use) and type of use (depending on the

products to be fabricated in the sawmill). With this information, the system estimates and projects total yield of

the different volumes by log class and product type for a plot or entire stand. This provides very realistic

estimates of expected timber production and sale from one or an array of stands without felling trees in the rest

of the plantation.

Later, all of the logs from thinning in all stands can be entered to complete the entire chain of custody

according to FSC standards. Figure 2 shows an example of a projection to estimate the commercial volume of

teak by circumference classes using the Hoppus formula plus allowances, and its valuation based on buyer list

prices for export to India. In the case of timber sales, the system allows for different types of reports, including

the packing list of logs or blocks per shipment or dispatch of containers, according to the buyer’s specifications.

Figure 2. Example of projected commercial volume of logs in the stand based on measurement plots in

Costa Rica.

Valuation of Logs and Value-added Products

Based on the estimation of commercial volume and using the price catalogues of potential buyers, the system

makes it possible to estimate the value of standing wood and/or total income corresponding to the sale of wood

as logs and value-added products of different quality, sizes, and types of use.

This valuation can be made based on estimates of current commercial volumes in a forest inventory or through

projections of future volumes. This permits and facilitates the estimation of possible future income and decision

making about the best moment for thinning and the most appropriate period of rotation. The system also allows

storage of all wood sales of the different products over time in the corresponding stands.

Continued from page 2

Read more on page 4

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 4 of 8

Bucking of Standing Trees

This module was developed to facilitate and to predict the optimum bucking of teak trees before felling. The

software estimates the number of logs of various lengths and their commercial volume. These estimates are

based on the price catalogs of teak buyers that include the appraisal of the logs by diameter or circumference

class.

The system allows comparing the bucking software’s projections of logs number and individual volume of logs

per tree with the results obtained using the chain-of-custody method developed for quantifying actual field

production of logs from individual trees from a thinning or clear felling (Ugalde, 2008). The bucking estimates

diameters for logs at different heights of the tree, using taper equations or taper factors generated from chains

of custody of individual trees. This application makes it possible to project logs and volume by individual

standing tree based on a simulated thinning or clear felling of the trees on a measurement plot or from a forest

inventory. It reports logs and volumes by individual tree, averages by plot, by hectare and by stand and the

respective log values with or without bark and up to a minimum upper trunk diameter.

Figure 3. Example of bucking and valuation of teak timber in Panama

Transformer Logs – Sawmill

The Log Transformation module is linked with the results from the modules of Bucking of Standing Trees into

logs or Chain of Custody (CoC) of individual trees.

Through transformation equations, factors and tables generated from chains of custody of individual trees, the

Transformer converts logs from bucking into value-added products, such as rough sawn timber, rough squares,

clean squares, and sawn timber of different dimensions. It also facilitates valuation of the transformed products

based on the price catalogs of potential buyers.

Continued from page 3

Read more on page 5

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 5 of 8

Figure 4. Application of log transformer to generate different teak value-added Products

Bar Code for Pieces Inventories

The objective is to facilitate and streamline inventories of logs, lumber or value-added products in the field,

stockyards, containers or timber yards, thus reducing the time and costs of these operations.

Label printing is done through MiraSilv utilising an application for generating bar codes. The labels are printed

with a thermal printer on moisture-resistant plastic paper and placed on the logs or pieces forming part of the

inventory (see photos above).

A tablet or a bar code scanner is then used to record measurement information (diameters, lengths, etc.) in a

file with spreadsheet format, while at the same time the bar code for each piece is read using a tablet

application or scanner, thus creating a database for all pieces in the inventory.

The tablet or bar code scanner can then be used for automated reading of the labels to keep track of pieces

taken out of inventory. For example, at the moment wood is sold as logs, a file on the logs placed in the truck or

container is generated on the tablet or scanner.

Continued from page 4

Read more on page 6

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 6 of 8

Figure 5. Loading and dispatch of teakwood inventoried with bar code in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Growth and Yield Projections

With the Growth Projector, DBH and heights at future ages can be predicted based on previous consecutive

measurements and with a forest site and management (management profile) level of quality. Projection

equations can be used at the levels of stands or individual trees.

The future projection can be bucked, transformed, and valuated to support and facilitate decision making about

felling age and the type of products to be sold. Below are examples of growth curves developed for teak in given

site qualities, and with a projection of DBH for up to 30-year rotation period.

Figure 6. Projection of growth curves in DBH (cm) for teak in different site qualities

For more information about MiraSilv-2017 software and how it can be obtained, contact:

Dr. Luis Ugalde Arias, International Forestry Advisor

International Forestry & Agroforestry – INFOA, Costa Rica

E-mail: laugalde@gmail.com

Website:http://internationalforestry.org

Mobile: +506 83496718

32.334.7

36.835.538.2

40.438.7

41.744.1

42.045.2

47.8

29.131.3

33.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Age in years

Continued from page 5

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 7 of 8

New Release

To know more about this article Download

Courtesy: ITTO Tropical Forest Update 26/1 15

Prices of Plantation Teak Imported to India

Courtesy: ITTO TTM Report 21(7): 1-15 April 2017

Editorial Committee

Dr. P.K. Thulasidas

Dr. E. M. Muralidharan

Dr. S. Sandeep

Teaknet Bulletin is a quarterly electronic newsletter of TEAKNET brought out through its website. It is intended for

circulation among the members of TEAKNET and other stakeholders of global teak sector. The views expressed in

the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization. The readers are

welcome to express their opinions or pass on information of value to teak growers, traders, researchers or others

concerned with teak. However, TEAKNET reserves the right to choose the contributions for publishing and also to

make necessary editorial modifications in the articles in consultation with the authors.

Address all communications to:

TEAKNET Coordinator

Kerala Forest Research Institute

Peechi-680 653, Thrissur, Kerala, India

Tel: +91 487 2690396; Fax: +91 487 2690111

Email: coordinator@teaknet.org

Country of Origin

Logs US$ per cu.m C & F

Angola 389-574

Belize 350-400

Benin 290-714

Brazil 344-540

Cameroon 405-616

Colombia 478-743

Congo D. R. 450-761

Costa Rica 357-780

Côte d'Ivoire 289-756

El-Salvador 320-732

Ghana 294-452

Guatemala 324-646

Guyana 300-450

Kenya 515-876

Laos 300-605

Liberia 265-460

Malaysia 225-516

Mexico 295-808

Nicaragua 402-505

Panama 335-475

PNG 443-575

Sudan 358-556

Thailand 511-700

Togo 334-590

Trinidad and Tobago 603-753

Uganda 411-623

Sawn wood / Squares

Benin sawn 530-872

Uganda sawn 680-900

Tanzania sawn 307-613

Brazil squares 333-556

Ecuador squares 333-454

Nigeria squares 434-517

Variations are based on quality, lengths of logs and the

average girth.

Teaknet Bulletin 10(2):2017 Page 8 of 8