White lauan (Shorea contorta)

he white lauan belongs to the dipterocarp family, a group of important timber trees that dominate the lowland rainforests of Asia (3). The white lauan has brown to nearly black bark, although it can look grey when exposed to bright sunlight. The upper part of the trunk may have distinct longitudinal ridges. The leaves of the white lauan have a thin, leathery texture and can measure up to 29 centimetres long and 11 centimetres wide (2). Dipterocarpplants have fairly large and showy flowers, to attract insects, and the fruit is a single-seeded nut enclosed within a winged case (3).

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Theales
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Genus	Shorea (1)

White lauan biology

Little information is available about the biology of the white lauan. This tree flowers between March and May and fruiting takes place from April until September (2). Like other dipterocarps, the white lauan is probably pollinated by insects (3).

White lauan range

Endemic to the Philippines, where it occurs on the islands of Babuyanes, Luzon, Polillo, Marinduque, Masbate, Samar, Leyte, Negros, Sibuyan, Mindanao, Polaui and Basilan (2).

White lauan habitat

The white lauan grows in lowland, seasonal, semi-evergreen dipterocarp forest (4), from sea level up to about 700 metres (2).

White lauan threats

Numbers of white lauan have become depleted due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture (2) (4). The valuable timber of the white lauan is used for general construction and for furniture making (2

White lauan conservation

The white lauan most likely occurs in a number of protected areas throughout the Philippines, such as the Sierra Madre. However, despite this so-called protection, illegal logging activities can continue to pose a threat(5).

References

1. IUCN Red List (June, 2007) 
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. De Guzman, E.D., Umali, R.M. and Sotalbo, E.D. (1986) Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna. Volume 3: Dipterocarps and Non-Dipterocarps. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and University of the Philippines, Philippines.
3. Heywood, V.H. (1978) Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
4. Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. and MacKinven, A. (1998) The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK.
5. Greenpeace Southeast Asia. (2006) Sierra Madre: Under Threat. Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Quezon City, Philippines.

White meranti (Shorea assamica philippinensis)

White meranti description

This highly threatened tree is one of over 500 species of dipterocarp, a group of trees which dominate the lowland rainforests of Asia and are valued for their timber (3). The bark of the white meranti is covered with a network of deep long ridges and the leaves are up to 12 centimetres long and 5.5 centimetres wide, tapering to a fairly blunt tip. The petals are white, with a pink base on the inside on the flower (2). The fruits of dipterocarps are single-seeded nuts enclosed in a winged case (3).

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Theales
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Genus	Shorea (1)

White meranti biology

Information regarding the biology of the white meranti is lacking. Dipterocarp plants are generally pollinated by insects, and the winged nuts suggest that the seeds are dispersed by wind (3).

White meranti habitat

White meranti grows in primary forest at low altitudes (2).

White meranti threats

The white meranti is considered to be Critically Endangered as a result of logging and slash-and-burnagriculture. The wood of the white meranti is used for furniture, cabinet making, interior finish, veneer, plywood and in boat building (2).

White meranti conservation

There are no specific conservation measures currently known to be in place for the white meranti.

References

1. IUCN Red List (June, 2007) 
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. De Guzman, E.D., Umali, R.M. and Sotalbo, E.D. (1986) Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna. Volume 3: Dipterocarps, Non-Dipterocarps. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and University of the Philippines, Philippines.
3. Heywood, V.H. (1978) Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Red lauan (Shorea negrosensis)

Red lauan description

This large, Philippine tree has thick dark brown to nearly black bark with a reddish tinge (2). The trunk is ridged with shallow furrows and bears no branches for the first 20 to 30 metres (2) (3). The tough, leathery leaves measure up to 17 centimetres long and 7.5 centimetres wide and taper toward the tip. The cream-coloured flowers are borne in clusters of four and are said to have a ‘sick-like’ odour (2). The turban-shaped fruits of the red lauan are around 1.9 centimetres wide, covered with silky yellow hairs and each bears five long wings (4).

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Theales
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Genus	Shorea (1)

Red lauan biology

The red lauan flowers between April and May (2), during which time the blooms are visited by insects for pollen(3). Following pollination, fruits develop and appear between March and June (2).

Red lauan range

The red lauan is found only in the Philippines, where it occurs on the islands of Luzon, Pollilo, Biliran, Negros, Samar, Leyte, Mindanao and Basilan (2).

Red lauan habitat

This tree occurs in lowland evergreen and seasonal dipterocarp forests (3) (5), between 0 and 1,000 metres above sea level (3).

References

1. IUCN Red List (June, 2007) 
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. De Guzman, E.D., Umali, R.M. and Sotalbo, E.D. (1986) Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna. Volume 3: Dipterocarps and Non-Dipterocarps. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and University of the Philippines, Philippines.
3. World Agroforestry Centre: Agroforestree Database (June, 2008) 
   http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=17971