Sundacarpus amarus

Botanical Description

Sundacarpus amarus is a fast-growing, evergreen tree with a conic crown, becoming columnar with age[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 329 Title The Gymnosperm Database Publication Author Website http://www.conifers.org/index.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms. ]. The tree can vary in height from 10 - 60 metres with a bole that can be buttressed and is from 12 - 140cm in diameter[ 329 Title The Gymnosperm Database Publication Author Website http://www.conifers.org/index.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms. ]. The tree is extensively harvested from the wild for its timber, which is sometimes traded along with several other related species as 'podo' or is sometimes distinguished as 'black podocarp'.. The main threat to this species is logging, which is unsustainable in many cases because the tree is very slow growing. If forests do not return after logging to a long cycle of disturbance events but to a shorter one with smaller gaps, this species will be replaced by other trees. If logging is a precursor to deforestation, as it often is under pressure of land use changes, decline is further accelerated. Despite an undeniable downward trend in Sundacarpus' global population due to unsustainable logging of primary rain forest and subsequent deforestation in many localities, based on the enormous extent of occurrence and the fact that this tree is also present in many protected areas (albeit with varying levels of actual protection) it is still considered well beyond any category of threat. This species is designated as being of 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].