Acacia mangium
Acacia mangium is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae of genus Acacia.
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[edit] Geography
Acacia Mangium is native to northeastern Queensland in Australia, the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, Papua, and the eastern Maluku Islands. Natural habitats of Acacia mangium often border on mangroves, swamplands and rivers. It even grows on soils with few nutrients and high ph-values.
Like many other legumes, it is able to fix nitrogen in the soil. Acacia mangium has about 142,000 seeds/kg. - From Wikipedia
[edit] Common names
Common names include Black Wattle, Hickory Wattle and Mangium.
[edit] Uses
Its uses include environmental management and wood. Acacia mangium was first introduced as a fast growing ornamental tree species into the urban regions of other Asian countries. Today, there are big plantations in China, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Acacia mangium is almost always grown in monocultures.
Germinated seeds can be cooked and eaten. The young sprouts and leaves are used as cattle fodder. Due to its relatively high density, the timber has a good caloric value. It can be also used for the production of coal briquettes. Apart from that, the timber can be applied as construction wood, for furniture or even for veneers. The cellulose produced by Acacia mangium can be bleached easily and is fit for high quality paper.
This tree is widely used in Goa in the mining industry for rehabilitation of the waste dumps as it is a drought resistant species and binds the sterile mine waste consisting of lateritic strata.
Due to its fast growth of up to 0.05 meter (2 inches) annually, Acacia mangium is used for the production of cellulose and energy wood. As a pioneer species accustomed to much sunlight, little water and bad soils, it is suitable for afforesting deforested areas. Its ability to actively fix nitrogen from the atmosphere in the soil is used to improve the soil properties at degraded locations.
[edit] Forestry
Acacia mangium grows up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall, often with a straight trunk. The young trees have a smooth and greenish bark whereas the bark of older trees becomes harder, cracked and turns into grey-brown to dark brown. Old trees can reach a diameter of up to 0.89 meter (35 inches). The dark green, fleshy leaves form a shade casting crown which prevents the light from reaching competing plants.
Acacia is pollinated by insects. Already 24 months after planting, seeds can be harvested. The seeds are not very durable and have to be planted soon. Approximately 70,000 to 120,000 seedlings can be grown from two pounds of seeds.
[edit] Projects with Acacia Mangium
[edit] External links
- Ecology, silviculture and productivity - Publication of Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) about Acacia Mangium by H. Krisnawati, M.H. Kallio & M. Kanninen
- Trials of Acacia Mangium Willd. as a plantation species in Sabah - Publication of the Food and Argicultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) by Tham Chee Keong (Plantation Officer, Forests Department)
