The STTC provides a dedicated platform where research and publications on LUS from sources worldwide are pooled.
Globally, the tropical timber sector focuses on a relatively few species. This can put supply stress on these varieties, limit availability and reduce the commercial appeal of implementing SFM.
The STTC encourages use of a wider range of verified sustainable lesser used species (LUS), also referred to as Lesser Known Timber Species (LKTS), through marketing and technical evaluation support. The goal is to reduce over reliance on key varieties, and, by increasing sustainable timber off-take from a given forest area, make sustainable management a more viable business proposition.
The STTC supports various projects in field of LUS. Among them is www.lesserknowntimberspecies.com, managed by FSC Denmark, which is focused on providing both inspiration and knowledge. The database shows the potential of this underutilised timber source, helping buyers and specifiers make new choices which support SFM. The database is currently in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.
The Best Practice Guide “Promoting The Lesser Known”, supported by the STTC Lesser Known Species Consortium (2012-2016), describes the steps to be taken to introduce LUS on a market. These include assessing of the available volume and stem quality of the LKTS considered, gaining technical information, building partnerships and marketing of the LUS.
Another valuable tool is ITTO’s www.tropicaltimber.info. This:
- Informs users on the properties, uses and availability of lesser-used tropical timber species
- Supports small and medium-sized timber producers with value-added production & marketing
- Promotes responsible forestry and certified forests
- Educate retail buyers about timber products and certified forestry
Currently in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.
For the Dutch market, the www.houtdatabase.nl provides information on over 200 timber species, their physical and mechanical properties and uses (illustrated with reference projects), It also details suppliers and availability of timber with an SFM certificate compliant with Dutch procurement criteria.
Publications
Below is an overview of publications on LUS and their applications.
| Resources | Author | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL | |||
| A guide to lesser known Timber species | awsassets.panda.org | WWF | 2013 |
| Lesser Known Timber Species database | www.lesserknowntimberspecies.com | FSC Denmark | 2015 |
| www.Houtdatabase.nl (in Dutch) | www.houtdatabase.nl | Centrum Hout | 2009 |
| Lesser Known Timber species (in Dutch) | www.fsc.nl | FSC Netherlands | 2018 |
| Rare tropical timbers | archive.org | IUCN | 1988 |
| The less known timber species: What is their future? | www.fao.org | FAO | 1984 |
| Tropical Timber | www.tropicaltimber.info | ITTO | 1998 |
| AFRICA | |||
| 100 Tropical African Timber Trees from Ghana | www.itto.int | ITTO | 2006 |
| Anatomical characteristics, properties and use of traditionally used and lesser-known wood species from Mozambique: a literature review | link.springer.com | Wood Sci Technol | 2008 |
| Anatomical Properties of Three Lesser Utilised Ghanaian Hardwood Species | file.scirp.org | Takoradi Polytechnic | 2015 |
| Capacity of sawmills and carpentry workshops for processing Lesser Used Species (LUS) in Ghana | www.researchgate.net | Forest Research Institute of Ghana | 2011 |
| Mechanical Properties and natural durability of Lesser Used Species from Mozambique | pub.epsilon.slu.se | Faculty of forest Science of Uppsala | 2011 |
| New marketable species in Africa | www.houtdatabase.nl | CIRAD/CTFT | 1990 |
| Product development and processeing of lesser used timber species (Ghana) | ITTO | 1998 | |
| Relationships between some anatomical, physical and durability properties of the wood of some lesser utilised Ghanaian hardwoods | dspace.knust.edu.gh | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | 2003 |
| Research of lesser known timber species, Ghana | www.bfh.ch | Berner Fachhochschule | 2009 |
| Selected wood properties of two lesser known and lesser utilized indigenous agroforestry species from Kilosa district, Tanzania | www.semanticscholar.org | Sokoine University of Agriculture | 2015 |
| Strength properties of selected Uganda timbers | www.researchgate.net | International Wood Products Journal | 2015 |
| Technology Profiles of Selected Species Ghana | www.houtdatabase.nl | ITTO | 2002 |
| The Distribution, Density, and Estimates of Carbon and Inorganic Nutrients in some Lesser-Used Species (Ghana) | www.fornis.net | ITTO/FORIG/TEDB | 2011 |
| Tool wear for lesser known tropical wood species (Mozambique) | www.tandfonline.com | Lulea University of Technology | 2011 |
| Utilization of Broussonetia and Borassus palm as timber resources in Ghana | www.fornis.net | FORIG | 2008 |
| Bending and Modulus of Elasticity Properties of Ten Lesser-Used Timber Species in Ghana using Structural Dimensions | www.researchgate.net | E. Appiah-Kubi et al., 2012 | 2012 |
| The Level of Utilization of Secondary Timber Species among Furniture Producers (Ghana) | www.seefor.eu | SEEFOR | 2016 |
| Wood Properties and Their Variations Within the Tree Stem of Lesser-Used Species of Tropical Hardwood from Ghana | wfs.swst.org | Louisiana State University | 1999 |
| LATIN AMERICA | |||
| Some properties of lesser known timber species from Suriname | www.probos.nl | SHR | 2019 |
| Emerging markets for tropical lesser-known species and their impact on sustainable forest management in southeast Mexico | aisfdotit.files.wordpress.com | proceedings of the second Internation congress of Silviculture | 2015 |
| Lesser used species of Bolivia and their relevance to sustainable forest management | www.researchgate.net | US Forest Service | 2003 |
| Effect of heat treatment on color, weight loss, specific gravity and equilibrium moisture content of two low market valued tropical woods (cedroarana, cedro-marinheiro) | www.centrumdp.sk | Universidade de São Paulo | 2012 |
| Thermomechanical treatment of tropical wood (cedrinho, angelim, tachipreto, mandioqueira) | pimads.org | ITTO | 2013 |
| Thermomechanical Treatment and the Effects on the Properties of Simarouba amara (Aubl.) | www.scielo.br | Universidade de Brasília | 2016 |
| Utilization of lesser used wood species in Guyana | www.houtdatabase.nl | ITTO | 2008 |
| SOUTHEAST ASIA | |||
| Fibre Saturation Point of Lesser-Known Timbers from Sabah | www.pertanika.upm.edu.my | University Putra Malaysia Press | 1998 |
| Lesser Known Timber Species if SEALPA Countries | books.google.fr | South East Asia Lumber Producers Association | 1980 |
| Lesser Known Timber trees of Malaysia | books.google.fr | Malayan Nature Society | 1973 |
| PROSEA 5(2): Timber trees - Minor commercial timbers | edepot.wur.nl | PROSEA | 1998 |
| Termite resistance of selected lesser-known Malaysian hardwoods | www.prtrg.org | Proceedings of the 10th pacific-rim termine research group conference | 2014 |
| Identification and utilisation of lesser-known commercial timbers in Peninsular Malaysia 1: Ara, Bangkal, Bebusok and Bekoi | www.researchgate.net | Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) | 2004 |
| Utilization of lesser used species as alternative raw materials for forest-based industries (Philippines) | trove.nla.gov.au | ITTO | 1998 |
| SPECIFIC SPECIES | |||
| Assessment of the durability and engineering properties of lesser-known hardwood timber species for use in marine and freshwater construction (cupuiba, angelim, okan, tali and eveuss) | trada-stage.wearewattle.com | TRADA | 2010 |
| State of the wooden construction, fresh water marina, Akkrum (the Netherlands): 9 tropical timber species evaluated 10 years after application | www.probos.nl | SHR | 2020 |
| MARKETING OF LUS | |||
| Best Practice Guide to successful introduction of lesser known timber species | www.probos.nl | Probos | 2020 |
| Evaluating the potential for lesser used timber species | www.trada.co.uk | TRADA | 2010 |
| Exporting ceritified Tropical timber garden furniture to Europe | www.cbi.eu | Ministry of foreign affairs | 2017 |
| Forest Communities and the marketing of lesser-used tropical hardwoods in Mesoamerica | pdf.usaid.gov | 2003 | |
| Houtdatabase: Lesser-known timber species are part of it too | www.houtdatabase.nl | PROBOS | 2011 |
| Introducing lesser known wood species from certified forests in Bolivia to the U.S. market. MSc thesis Wood Science and Forest Products | theses.lib.vt.edu | Virgiana Polytechnic Institute and State University | 2007 |
| Introducing Myanmar’s Lesser-used Timber Species to the World Market | www.itto.int | Forest Department Myanmar | 2002 |
| Mapping the future market potential timber from small-scale Tree Farmers: Perspectives from the Southern Highlands in Tanzania | link.springer.com | Anne Arvola et al., 2019 | 2019 |
| Marketing opportunities for potential Surinamese wood species | www.tropenbos.org | Tropenbos | 2013 |
| Promoting Responsible Forest Trade of lesser known timber species | www.fsc-uk.org | WWF | 2014 |
If you would like to add a report to the above list, please contact Mark van Benthem, Probos (mark.vanbenthem@probos.nl).
If you represent a company interested in using or promoting LUS, please contact Ben Romein, FSC Netherlands (b.romein@fsc.nl).
