Malaysian forest-based industries in the global economy / H. Norini

The forest-based industries (FBls) in Malaysia have experienced tremendous development over the last few decades. The sector's contributions to the nation's export earnings and creation of employment for the rural poor are substantial. In fact, statistics on export values still list the FBls as one of the three most important sectors, next to petroleum and oil products, in terms of bringing foreign exchange earnings into the country. If one were to trace the development of the FBls in particular and other industries in general, one would realize that direct foreign investment has contributed to such growth. This clearly indicates the openness of the Malaysian economy from the perspective of trade, liberalization of investment, and privatization. As a result, the gross domestic product (GDP) of most goods, including timber projects, has increased. Timber products from Malaysia have faced both tariff and nontariff barriers for decades, in efforts to penetrate the international market. One of the most serious nontraiff barriers that Malaysia has faced over the years is the introduction of bills by local councils in importing countries, calling for a ban on the use of tropical species in public and other development projects. Such a move has affected the overall performance of the FBls in the international arena. With the development of information technology, which allows the movement of information across national boundaries, a more challenging situation of world trade is expected in the future. This paper, therefore, not only highlights the performance of the FBls in different eras but also discusses their future in the context of globalization

The roles of timber and non timber resources in the sustainable development of forest-based industries in peninsular Malaysia / H. Norini

As timber from natural forests becomes scarce, timber from forest plantations and nontimber resources, such as oil palm residues, has begun to be a potential alternative raw material for the forest based industries (FBls). In fact, the urge to search for alternative raw materials started to develop when P. Malaysia was forecasted to experience limber shortages of about 1.0 million m3 in the period from 1996 to 2000 and almost 4.0 million m3 between 2006 and 2010. Echoing the concern about future timber shortages, efforts were stepped up to promote the planting of fast-growing timber species on forest plantations. To date, 76,327 acres have been planted with various species on forest plantations in Peninsular Malaysia. Even though this figure seems reasonably substantial, because only a small staggered area is planted yearly, timber from forest plantations has not been able to cope with the everincreasing gap created by the natural forests. Besides ensuring a sufficient supply of timber, species planted must also be those preferred by most processors. On the other hand, existing oil palm plantations are estimated to be capable of producing between 2.2 million m3 and 9.4 million m3 of oil palm trunks and a host of other usable oil palm residues from 2006 to 2020. Therefore, before the availability of oil palm trunks and their residues are discussed further, it is important to understand the types of species preferred by timber processors. Hence, this paper not only highlights the supply of and demand for timber, especially from plantation forests, but also discusses preferences for certain timber species and the opportunity that oil palm trunks and residues offer for continuous development of the FBls

Valle del Bove, Eastern Flank of Etna Volcano: a Comprehensive Model for the Opening of the Depression and Implications for Future Hazards

In this paper we integrate stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of the volcaniclastic deposits, emplaced during initial opening and later widening of the Valle del Bove depression, with the available stratigraphy of the inner walls, and marine offshore data, structural data, and magnetic surveys to develop a comprehensive model for the opening of the Valle del Bove depression. The resulting model adds new insight into the triggering mechanisms of the flank collapse. Additionally, it suggests a three-stage evolution of the eastern flank of Etna. (1) About 10 Kyr ago, the extinct Ellittico volcano (60 80 (per uniformità anche con Acireale) to 15 Kyr) collapsed, forming the early Valle del Bove. The collapse produced an avalanche deposit that spread ESE and formed the base of the Milo Lahar and the Chiancone deposits. (2) The second stage involved instability-related minor collapses within the valley, causing southward and westward enlargement of the depression and the emplacement of the debris flow sequence that comprises the upper part of the Milo Lahar deposit. (3) Available debris that accumulated within the Valle del Bove from smaller subsequent collapses was deposited at the mouth of the Valle del Bove in the fluvial sequence that forms most of the exposed part of the Chiancone deposit. The emplacement of the whole volcaniclastic sequence occurred between 10 and 2 Kyr ago. Since then, the Valle del Bove has acted as a basin protecting the lower eastern flank of Etna from lava flows or inundations of volcaniclastic debris.Published65-753.5. Geologia e storia dei sistemi vulcaniciope

Valle del Bove, Eastern Flank of Etna Volcano: a Comprehensive Model for the Opening of the Depression and Implications for Future Hazards

In this paper we integrate stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of the volcaniclastic deposits, emplaced during initial opening and later widening of the Valle del Bove depression, with the available stratigraphy of the inner walls, and marine offshore data, structural data, and magnetic surveys to develop a comprehensive model for the opening of the Valle del Bove depression. The resulting model adds new insight into the triggering mechanisms of the flank collapse. Additionally, it suggests a three-stage evolution of the eastern flank of Etna. (1) About 10 Kyr ago, the extinct Ellittico volcano (60 80 (per uniformità anche con Acireale) to 15 Kyr) collapsed, forming the early Valle del Bove. The collapse produced an avalanche deposit that spread ESE and formed the base of the Milo Lahar and the Chiancone deposits. (2) The second stage involved instability-related minor collapses within the valley, causing southward and westward enlargement of the depression and the emplacement of the debris flow sequence that comprises the upper part of the Milo Lahar deposit. (3) Available debris that accumulated within the Valle del Bove from smaller subsequent collapses was deposited at the mouth of the Valle del Bove in the fluvial sequence that forms most of the exposed part of the Chiancone deposit. The emplacement of the whole volcaniclastic sequence occurred between 10 and 2 Kyr ago. Since then, the Valle del Bove has acted as a basin protecting the lower eastern flank of Etna from lava flows or inundations of volcaniclastic debris.Published65-753.5. Geologia e storia dei sistemi vulcaniciope

Effects of Pleistocene to Holocene seismicity on the landforms and fluvial-lacustrine sequences of the Ixtlahuaca paleobasin, and their possible relation with the Acambay graben: Implications for the seismic hazard assessment of Central Mexico

We mapped Plio-Pleistocene lake deposits in the Ixtlahuaca paleobasin in Central Mexico, located 51 km south of the Acambay Graben and 69 km west of Mexico City. Within the Acambay basin, Pleistocene to Holocene lake sediments record primary and secondary 25 environmental effects of strong local earthquakes as a consequence of Quaternary activity of the major normal border faults. Likewise, the Ixtlahuaca paleobasin has been controlled mainly by the Quaternary evolution of the Perales and Ixtlahuaca faults, even if there is no record of local historical earthquakes, and therefore the area has not been considered as potentially seismic. However, the application of the ESI 2007 Scale to deformation structures as effects of seismic events on the geological-natural environment in the Tierras Blancas - San Bartolo Lanzados basins and San Pedro El Alto, within the Acambay graben, and its comparison with seismites identified in the Ixtlahuaca paleobasin, show that past earthquakes similar to the Mw 6.5 to 7 surface faulting events generated by the main faults of the Acambay graben have also occurred in the Ixtlahuaca area