Table 1. Summary of Penan knowledge on gaharu exploitation

Silvical CharacteristicsIndigenous Knowledge
Species yielding resinA. malaccensis *
A. beccariana
A. microcarpa
Forest typeMixed lowland to hill dipterocarp forest
Favorable sites
    Topography
    Soil
    Microclimate
Steeper hillsides, ravines
Thin, nutrient poor
Dry
Distribution patternScarce, but widely distributed
sometimes patchy, infected trees clumped,
i.e., a dozen or more saplings within a 50 m radius
Associated species
    Plants
Palms, including:
Arenga brevipes
Oncospermae horridum
Licuala valida
    Animals
Insect, unidentified but maybe cicada, which bores
holes in the tree
Regeneration
    From seeds
    from wildlings
    From coppice
    From cuttings
No report
Observed attempts, but unsuccessful
Observed, good
No report
Morphology
    Tree
Irregular shape, apparent injury, insect attack;
misshapen bole, leaf drop

* Because of the scarcity of A. microcarpa, and the lack of data specific to A. beccariana, the information above applies to the species A. malaccensis only.