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Description of Study Site

Description of Study Site

The Vanimo Timber Area is located in Sandaun Province on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. From Piore River, some 80 kilometres east of Provincial capital Vanimo (2040'S, 141007'E), the timber area extends westward to within 20 kilometres of the Indonesian border and 40 kilometres south to the foot of the Bewani Mountains. The total area is approximately 287,200 hectares and the predominant vegetation type is lowland rainforest. The most luxuriant of this vegetation reaches 35-40 metres in height with some emergent trees having diameters at breast height of more than 2 metres. In many areas the main canopy trees are the primary timber species, Instia spp. and Pometia spp., while strangling figs (Ficus spp.) with huge crowns and merging aerial roots are also common. Palms, woody vines (such as Smilax sp.) and fleshy climbers are abundant while epiphytic ferns and orchids commonly grow along the branches of old trees. On well-drained sites the forest canopy is more open and uneven, and climbing rattan is abundant. In swampy conditions sago palms (Metroxylon sagu) and pandanus dominate the understory.

The region has a moist tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of between 2500mm to 4000mm (Spenceley 1982). There is no marked dry season and rains generally fall as intense tropical downpours. This climate considerably constrains logging operations as excessive erosion can only be minimised by the cessation of operations during wet conditions.