Tree Cloning to Enhance Development of Forests

TREE CLONING TO ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTS

by Antonio C. Antonio

May 24, 2014

The Ecological Principle of “Development” is the unfolding of life, manifesting as development and learning at the individual level and as evolution at the species level.  It is the interplay of creativity and mutual adaptation in which organisms and environment co-evolve and co-exist.

INTRODUCTION:

The stages of development of a forest start from being a simple pioneering plant community to an old growth forest.  However, the actual timeline for these stages vary depending on numerous factors.  The assumption for the time involved in the completion of this cycle is no less than a century.  Sadly, in the lifetime and finite existence of man, he will never get to see this transformation.  Considering the long process in the evolution of forests, there has to be a better way to enhance its growth and development with the help of science and modern technology.

The most common intervention practice in forest management is Silviculture which is the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests to meet the needs of man.  The most common silvicultural practices are: 

1.     Release Treatment (weeding, cleaning and liberation cutting);

2.     Thinning (low, crown, selection, mechanical and free thinning); and,

3.     Pruning. 

Another term for this is TSI (Timber Stand Improvement).  While these practices contribute to the overall health of the forest, they do not contribute to the expected growth of the forest based on our specific need to expand forests beyond the satisfaction of the need and demand for forest products.  There has to be a better way to propagate more biomass in the forest beyond the simple motions of seed germination, seedlings nursing, planting, rearing, etc.

This brings in the possibility of tree cloning as an alternative course of action in reforestation and sustainable development and management of the forest.  Forests represent a critical life support system in human survival.  Aside from their provision of materials for infrastructure and aesthetic value, they (more importantly) provide oxygen and sequester carbons.  The importance of trees and forests cannot be underestimated.  This is also the reason why I chose this topic.

OBJECTIVES:

A tree clone is a genetic copy of the original tree.  It presupposes that good quality and superior trees produce genetic duplicates that will grow and perform like the original trees when planted in a similar environment.  More often, seedlings producers using the traditional method of seedlings production using actual seeds, just go through the motions of mass production without any concern for the quality and survivability of the seedlings.  They oftentimes mix, in unpredictable proportions, substandard with quality ones.  Clone plantations replicate and duplicate the better qualities of the tree and produce duplicates of the original tree… therefore, controlling the quality of the seedlings for planting.

Clone seedlings from quality mother trees grow taller, have bigger diameter, have more biomass and would therefore yield bigger volume per hectare than the usual seedlings produced by ordinary nurseries.  Cloned trees also grow relatively faster that the time involved to attain the desired diameter sizes of harvestable trees has been reduced from 10 to 12 years to 2 to 3 years.

The purpose and objective of tree cloning is the propagation of genetically superior trees which will:

1.     Increase our reforestation capabilities exponentially;

2.     Improve the quality and value of our forest and timber products;

3.     Increase the income of tree farmers and growers;

4.     Help meet the high demand for wood products for our local market;

5.     Export of quality timber that would increase our dollar-earning capability;

6.     Contribute to the speedy renewal and recovery of our forests;

7.     Provide quality air for everyone;

8.     Preserve and propagate threatened tree species from extinction; and,

9.     Enhance the carbon sequestration capability of Philippine forests.

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

The process of tree cloning comes in several stages:

1.     Extensive identification of superior trees in private plantations, reforestation areas, old growth forest areas and natural forest areas;

2.     The selection process results in the marking and inventory of mother trees;

3.     Vegetative materials (parts of the tree) in cloning are then collected from these mother trees;  The first rounds of clones go through a process of rejuvenation where certain protocols (which entities involved in tree cloning failed to mention for trade secret purposes, I suppose) are followed and observed;  These cuttings are also sterilized and treated with rooting hormones before these are grown in trays sealed in plastic bags or under a tent;  The cloned twigs are then planted, cared for and managed as clonal hedges; The “wildings” are then pampered at the clonal nursery to produce robust stems that are harvested and, in turn, undergo maintenance care to grow roots lasting up to 5 months with the help of root-growing hormones before they are actually planted; and,

4.     From these clonal hedges of superior trees, more clones can be produced for both large and small-scale plantations.

My short documentary research brought me to some rather very interesting botanical “terms.”  I discovered that trees born out of germinated seeds are called “sexually” propagated trees while cloned trees are called “asexually” propagated trees.  And the mature stage of a tree is called a “climax” stage.  Quite interesting, isn’t it?

RESULTS:

(On the home front, please allow me to add that my wife has been practicing some degree of cloning orchids for sometime now… a practice she calls grafting.  She has succeeded in propagating orchids and saved us money… as orchids are quite expensive.  Now that I know a little bit more about cloning, I would venture to say that what she has been doing also has a significant relation to cloning.  I have observed that she would cut orchid roots from a particular orchid, peel the stem of another orchid and then paste/attach/bind the root to this orchid.  In time, the root will develop its own stems, roots and leaves.  This new orchid will then be transferred to another vase.)

The species of trees presently being cloned with a high degree of success are: Paraserianthes falcataria (Falcata); Gmelina arborea (Gmelina); Acacia mangium (Mangium); and, Eucalyptus deglupta (Bagras).  These are principally soft wood species and there is also a different reason for cloning dipterocarps (tropical hardwood trees).  Dipterocarps (like guijo, gisok-gisok, palosapis, dagang and white and red lauan) start flowering and fruiting on their 15th to 20th year. Cloning therefore could be a technique to extract parts of the tree even before they reach their productive stage when they start bearing flowers.  Indigenous trees such as yakal, kamagong, mayapis, molave, tindalo, toog and teak bear fruit only every 7 to 10 years.  It has also been noted that the survival rate of cloned trees is a high 60%. 

While is seems that the cost to clone trees and grow them to maturity is higher than using seed nursery-produced seedlings, there still remains two qualifying reasons to continue cloning… (1) the shorter growing time of cloned trees and (2) the importance of producing/growing quality trees.

Comparing the relative cost and benefit of cloned trees vis-à-vis seed-produced trees… the relevant questions now would be:

1.     What is the future of tree cloning as an alternative to seed-produced trees in the context of applying this to sustainable forest management?

2.     Can the cost to produce tree clones be brought down even further?

3.     Can cloned trees augment the deficit in seedling production and planting with reference to the number of trees being harvested?

The answer to these questions could be summarized in the number and increasing number of private, government and school entities (and other such organizations that I might not mention) which have joined the tree cloning bandwagon.  A futureless endeavor like this will never attract believers if the prospects are not at all promising.  The following is a list of private and government entities and schools which have been practicing tree cloning:

·         Claveria Tree Nursery, Inc. in Claveria, Misamis Oriental

·         Provident Tree Farm, Inc. in Agusan del Sur

·         DENR Cloning Facility in Arayat, Pampanga

·         DENR Cloning Facility in Laguna

·         Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet

·         Mountain Province State Polytechnic College in Bauko, Mt. Province

·         Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry in Lamut, Ifugao

·         Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Bacnotan, La Union

·         Nueva Viscaya State University in Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya

·         University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna

·         Southern Luzon Polytechnic College in Lucban, Quezon

·         Occidental Mindoro National College in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

·         West Visayan State University in La Paz, Iloilo City

·         Negros State College of Agriculture in Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental

·         Biliran National Agriculture College in Biliran, Biliran

·         Samar State College of Agriculture and Forestry in San Jorge, Samar

·         Leyte State University in Baybay, Leyte

·         Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga del Sur

·         Central Mindanao University in Musuan, Bukidnon

·         University of the Philippines in Davao City

·         Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur

·         Apayao State College in Conner, Apayao

·         Kalinga-Apayao State College in Tabuk, Kalinga

·         Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City, Ilocos Norte

·         Isabela State University in Cabangan, Isabela

·         Ramon Magsaysay Technological University in Iba, Zambales

·         Western Philippines University in Aborlan, Palawan

·         Bicol University in Guinobatan, Albay

·         Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

·         Bohol Island State University in Bilar, Bohol

·         University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Samar

·         Pampanga Agricultural College in Magalang, Pampanga

·         Caraga State University in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte

Just my little thoughts…

REFERENCES:

·         http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC781E/AC781E06.htm

·         http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/eagleeye/principles_of_ecology.html

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silviculture

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seral_stages_4.JPG

·         http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/forestbiology/htmltext/chapter9new.htm

·         http://claveriatreenurseryinc.blogspot.com/

·         http://www.joe.org/joe/2009october/rb6.php

·         http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/266668/denr-tries-cloning-of-forest-trees

·         http://www.gov.ph/2012/04/29/denr-to-tap-17-more-schools-to-clone-native-trees-for-national-greening-program/

·         http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/ecological-principles