Natural teak forests are waning worldwide while planted teak forests are increasing, according to the Teak Resources and Market Assessment from the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Correlating with this trend, the FAO found that the quality of wood-measured by dimension, roundness, straightness, heartwood/sapwood ratio, number of knots, color, among other qualities-procured from natural teak forests is declining, while the quality of teak harvested from planted forests is improving, according to the report.
According to the report, natural teak forests grow in only four countries: India, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. In 2010 their combined area of natural teak forest was estimated at about 71.7 million acres with, almost half of it growing in Myanmar. According to the survey, natural teak forests declined in area by about a million acres globally, or by 1.3 percent, between 1992 and 2010.
Meanwhile, planted teak has thrived in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the FAO reported. FAO estimates that worldwide planted teak stocks in 38 reporting countries reached about 10.7 million acres in 2010. In comparison, FAO estimated planted teak resources covered about 3.2 million acres in 1979.
"Supply trend points to a continuing decline in the volume and quality of natural teak, which results in progressive loss of genetic resources," said Walter Kollert, FAO Forestry Officer. "This is why it is essential in the near future to plan, organize and implement a program for the genetic conservation of native teak resources in the four countries with natural teak forests."
