Big-Leaf Mahogany in Panama: Historical Perspective

摘要

The Isthmus of Panama, first used by Indians as a route between North and South America, was soon recognized by Europeans as an important crossroads linking two oceans and two continents. With Panama's colonization and settlement, the availability of big-leaf mahogany declined in readily accessible areas as early as 1670. The species remained common, however, in the interior through the beginning of the 20th century. Panama's low population density, concentrated along the canal and south of the topographic divide from Panama City west to the Costa Rican border, was a major factor that helped protect much of its forest land. No sawmills existed before work began on the canal; however, by 1913, 13 mills, mainly using big-leaf mahogany, had been established. Forests covered 86 percent of the country in 1900, declining to 70 percent in 1947, 58 percent in 1960, 53 percent in 1970, 47 percent in 1980, 40 percent in 1990 and 37 percent in 1998. In the early 1950s, the volume of big-leaf mahogany was estimated at 60 million board feet in the Darien and 75 million in the entire country. During the early 1990s, the forest industry supported 50 sawmills, 3 plywood factories, and 600 furniture shops. In 1992, as forest resources continued to decline, Panama prohibited the export of big-leaf mahogany. Spanish cedar, and select hardwoods as round wood or sawn wood. Also during the 1990s, Panama passed laws providing incentives for reforestation, establishing forestry legislation, and creating ANAM, the national environmental authority. Today most of Panama's remaining undisturbed forests are concentrated along the Caribbean Coast and east of the canal. Big-leaf mahogany, once common, is now largely confined to scattered trees west of the canal, and to natural standing in the provinces of panama and Darien east of the canal. The eastern forests are being harvested today by concessionaires with approved management plans.