Biology:Kapur (wood)
Kapur (or kapor) is a dipterocarp hardwood from trees of the genus Dryobalanops found in lowland tropical rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia and South-East Asia.[1] It is a durable construction tropical timber. One variety, D. aromatica, is a source of camphor.
Species
The name kapur can refer to the following species from the Dryobalanops genus:[citation needed]
Deforestation
Kapur is logged from old-growth forest, often illegally. These forests have developed over the course of hundreds of years. When harvested, these trees are often between 250 and 1000 years old.[2] For a tree from the family Dipterocarpaceae, it takes approximately 100 years to reach a height of 30 meters.[3] Most of the species that are sold as kapur are listed on the IUCN Red List for endangered species. For example, D. fusca is critically endangered.[4]
Overexploitation has led to large scale deforestation in the tropics. The International Tropical Timber Organization is concerned with conserving the habitat of trees producing tropical timber.[citation needed]
According to FSC, certified tropical hardwood can counteract deforestation. Forests that are managed according to the FSC standards, become economically valuable and might therefore not be converted to farmland.[5] However, other organisations advise consumers to stay away from kapur altogether to avoid logging of centuries-old trees.[6][7]
See also
References
- ↑ Kapur at Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
- ↑ "Rainforest Relief". http://www.rainforestrelief.org/What_to_Avoid_and_Alternatives/Rainforest_Wood/What_to_Avoid_What_to_Choose/By_Tree_Species/Tropical_Woods/K/Kapur.html.
- ↑ "Rainforest Journal". https://www.rainforestjournal.com/dipterocarp-trees/.
- ↑ Search for Dryobalanops. https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Dryobalanops&searchType=species. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
- ↑ "Together We Are FSC | Tropical timber, part of the solution". https://marketingtoolkit.fsc.org/campaign/tropical-timber-part-solution.
- ↑ "Rainforest Relief - Kapur". http://www.rainforestrelief.org/What_to_Avoid_and_Alternatives/Rainforest_Wood/What_to_Avoid_What_to_Choose/By_Tree_Species/Tropical_Woods/K/Kapur.html.
- ↑ "Wet Tropics - Good Wood Guide". https://www.wettropics.gov.au/rainforest_explorer/Resources/Documents/8to9/GoodWoodGuide.pdf.
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