Sustaining the future of Acacia plantation forestry - a synopsis

Australian acacias have a long history of diverse use, with Acacia mearnsii of particular significance in South Africa and Brazil. However, most of the 3 million ha now managed worldwide have been planted in South-east Asia in only the past three decades. Acacia mangium, A. auriculiformis, the hybrid between these two species, and A. crassicarpa are the most widely planted taxa. In Indonesia and Malaysia most plantations are managed by large companies but the grower base in Vietnam is very different with nearly 50% of the 1.2 million ha of acacia plantations managed by small farmers to supply an export woodchip market, local pulp mills and an expanding furniture manufacturing industry. Most of these tropical plantations are managed in rotation cycles of 7–8 years.