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Natural Eucalypts spp. in PNG
from PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9D4B1 of 31 May 2022. Why Certain Planation Species in PNG?
by rbmccarthy
Natural Eucalypts spp. in PNG
Eucalyptus is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs, or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae including Corymbia, they are commonly known as eucalypts. Plants in the genus Eucalyptus have bark that is either smooth, fibrous, hard, or stringy, leaves with oil glands, and sepals and petals that are fused to form a "cap" or operculum over the stamens. The fruit is a woody capsule commonly referred to as a "gumnut". Most species of Eucalyptus are native to Australia, and every state and territory has representative species. About three-quarters of Australian forests are eucalypt forests. Wildfire is a feature of the Australian landscape, and many eucalypt species are adapted to fire, and resprout after fire or have seeds which survive fire. A few species are native to islands north of Australia and a smaller number are only found outside the continent. Eucalypts have been grown in plantations in many other countries because they are fast growing and have valuable timber, or can be used for pulpwood, for honey production or essential oils.
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Srivastava12 described the natural distribution of Eucalyptus spp in PNG sourced from Carr 1972 & N Howcroft 1991.
Species Distribution
1. E. deglupta Blume (incertae sedis) New Guinea, Papua, West Irian, New Britain, Ceram, Celebes, Mindanao. May have been present in New Ireland
2. E. alba Reinw. ex Blume (series Subexsertae) Timor, Flores, Alor, Wetar, east Papua, Horn Island, also northern Australia
3. E. tereticornis Sam. (series Exertae)
East and west Papua, West Irian. Also, eastern Australia, south to Victoria 4. E. papuana F. Muell East and West Papua. Also, northern, and central Australia
5. E. confertiflora F. Muell. (series Clavigerae (Maiden) S.T. Blake) 6. E. polycarpa F. Muell. (series Corymbosae (Benth.) Maiden) * 7. E. brassiana * 8. E. leptophleba * 9. E. pellita *10. E. tessellaris East and west Papua and West Irian. Also, northern Australia West Papua, Australia
SW PNG, also Cape York, Queensland, Australia Western Province, PNG (?), Cape York, Australia Western Province, PNG, NSW, Queensland, Australia Southern coast of PNG (?), Cape York, NSW, Australia
12 Proceedings Regional Expert Consultation of Eucalyptus 4-8 Oct 1993 Vol 1 -3, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), P B L Srivastava PNGFRI Lae, presented the PNG country statement re Eucalypt in Papua New Guinea.
The best-known species is E. deglupta or ‘Kamarere,’ a typical humid tropic species which does not occur in Australia.
In New Britain, kamarere forests occur as pure stands colonizing sandbanks left by floods on extensive areas as first colonisers. Later there is a mixture of Pometia pinnata, Dracontomelum mangiferum, Homalium sp. Celtis sp. and Pterocarpus indicus during the succession to a natural rainforest.
Photo credit John Davidson.
John Davidson and Lindsay Pryor flew over several stands of E. deglupta on the Toriu, Asrogi and Sai Rivers on their way from Rabaul to Cape Hoskins in a chartered aircraft in 1968.
Photo credit John Davidson.
John Davidson helicopter reconnaissance 1968. E. deglupta has lighter green coloured canopies (arrows) from the surrounding rainforest vegetation.
Photo credit John Davidson.
Pure stands also occur on almost unweathered pumice slopes of active volcanos as Mt. Ulawan and the inside and outside slopes of recently active or still semi-active volcanoes.
Photo credit John Davidson.
Photo 1 Sacred Heart Mission labourers hauling a record Eucalyptus deglupta log on the Toriu River logging railway around 1910 with German missionaries supervising. Source Michael Pearson13 . Photo 2 View of the Sacred Heart Mission Toriu River Sawmill around 1902-1917. Source Michael Pearson14
In the western parts of PNG, E. confertiflora, E. papuana, E. tereticornis and E. polycarpa have been recorded. Only E. polycarpa has been recorded for Daru Island. Eucalyptus is very poorly represented in the Morehead-Kiunga part of the area.
13 PNG National Library photo 314 Historishes Bildmaterial our dem Archives des staatlichen Museums fur
Volkerkunda Dresden.
14 PNG National Library photo 313. Source: Pioniere der Sudsee - Werden und Wachsen der Herz = Jesu Mission
von Rabaul zum Goldenen Jubilaum 1882 - 1932. p117, 118, 132 & 177.
In the eastern area, which is centred on Port Moresby, the species present are E. papuana, E. confertiflora, E. alba and E. tereticornis. In common with those of the western area, they occur, in the Port Moresby-Kairuku area, as constituents of savanna in communities which are subject to fire. Most of the island receives a high rainfall, but there is drier country in the south eastern section around Port Moresby, where several indigenous eucalypts are found, including E. alba and E. tereticornis.
Port Moresby environs.
Photo credit Dick McCarthy 2009.
From the Port Moresby-Kairuku area eucalypts extend parallel to the coast in a south easterly direction and cross the dividing range into the Musa Valley.
E. deglupta Plantations
E. deglupta plantations Kerevat. Photo credit Ian Whyte 1968.
E. deglupta plantations Kerevat. Photo credit Dick McCarthy 2000.
