The impact of ebony wood harvesting on Diospyros samoensis (Ebenaceae) on Vangunu Island, Western Solomon Islands
Ramokasa Anisi A , Alyse de Souza B , Gilianne Brodie C , Randy Thaman A , Stefan Peters B , Laurence W. Jessop D and Gunnar Keppel B E F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji Islands.
B UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
C School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji Islands.
D c\o Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia.
E Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: gunnar.keppel@unisa.edu.au
Pacific Conservation Biology 27(2) 177-185 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC19052
Submitted: 13 December 2019 Accepted: 24 August 2020 Published: 17 September 2020
Abstract
Ebony wood, the black heartwood of trees in the genus Diospyros, is a high-value commodity of many Pacific Islands. The revenue earned from the sale of ebony carvings is important for many low-income rural communities, resulting in high harvesting pressure and reported declines of ebony-producing species. This study investigates the impact of ebony wood harvesting on species of Diospyros on Vangunu Island, Western Solomon Islands. Diospyros samoensis, locally known as ‘rihe’, was the main source of ebony wood, with D. vera occasionally harvested but producing poorer quality wood. For D. samoensis, we investigated the existing ethnobotanical knowledge and harvesting dynamics using questionnaires and surveyed 11 populations using five 15 × 15 m plots. Although D. samoensis was common throughout the study area, trees with harvestable ebony heartwood were considered rare. The sale of ebony carvings contributed substantially to the livelihood of carvers. Harvesting practices cause considerable damage to the stem and appeared to alter population structure, with fewer seedlings found in stands with higher harvesting intensities (r = −0.704, P = 0.008). Therefore, populations of D. samoensis appear to be negatively impacted by current harvesting practices, which should be modified to (1) cause less damage to individual trees and populations, and (2) protect larger and older trees to help regeneration. Therefore, the increasing rarity of ebony heartwood in the Pacific may not equate to dangerous declines in Diospyros species and implementing low-impact harvesting practices could help improve the health and long-term persistence of Diospyros populations.
Keywords: conservation status, ebony wood, ecology, ethnobotany, forest regeneration, habitat destruction, indigenous livelihoods, IUCN Red List, Melanesia, native forest timber products, Pacific Islands, population size structure, structured questionnaires, sustainable harvesting, taxonomy, threatened species, timber harvesting, timber products, tropical forests, Vangunu Island, woodcarvings.
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