A management-level inventory of the NOA, together with a market assessment, was carried out in 2003 with the assistance and collaboration of the GFC.
Using the following parameters for definition of the Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) :
- felling cycle of 60 years
- minimum felling diameter of 40cm (DBH)
- 30 commercial species
- calculated height factor of 8.33 (based on actual bole length measurements)
- trees of risk class 1 only
resulted in a maximum calculated, theoretical AAC of 22.73 m3/ha.
In practice, the IIC plans on a more conservative figure of 12.00 m3/ha, for the following reasons:
- experience in Guyana suggests a lower, net, sustainable production than apparent standing volume would imply
- variations in diameters available within blocks open for felling
- hidden defects (despite class 1 risk category)
- local environmental and social criteria within felling blocks
With a Net Operable Area of 108,992 ha. and a felling cycle of 60 years, the maximum annual harvesting area would be 1,816 ha. Assuming a conservative figure for AAC of 12 m3/ha, therefore, the maximum gross, sustainable, annual cut is 21,790 m3.
Restricting annual extraction to around 20,000 m3 means that the first 10 years of harvesting can be contained within the Essequibo compartment.
|
