Article By: Nicole La Force
Lansan or
incense (Protium attenuatum) is and was
a highly prized commodity and has long been used in our society; in blessing,
as an insect repellant and even for medicinal purposes as in the relief of
sinus congestion and arthritis.
Unfortunately lansan is being illegally harvested and as many of
the harvesters are opportunistic their manner of harvesting is such that causes
severe to fatal injury to the trees. Often times the trees back is
indiscriminately slashed and this so far has caused death of hundreds of trees.
Sustainable Management of this flagship species is therefore necessary.
Lansan is endemic to the Lesser Antilles and is found in
Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and has been
heavily depleted and is believed to be under threat. In fact it appears that St. Lucia has the
largest remaining population of lansan in the Lesser Antilles. A survey is soon
to be carried out to determine its IUCN (International Union for Conservation
of Nature) status.
An experiment was carried out to determine the best method
of harvesting which would produce increased yields while minimizing any
detrimental effects to the trees. A series of 7 different cuts were made where
some were sprayed with a 5 % concentration of sulphuric acid and others not. Four
diametric classes were used from 15 cm to >30cm. The experiment sites were
Barre de L’isle and Chassin. Lansan was collected every two weeks and new cuts
were made at that time no deeper than the cambium layer.
Funding for this project was provided by Flora
and Fauna International, in collaboration with the Global Tree Campaign and The
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Forestry.
This is done with the aim
of protecting the species from extinction while continuing to provide a
sustainable livelihood activity. This project began in 2009 and it is hoped
that with further studies and continued conclusive data a sustainable
harvesting method will be adopted by all harvesters ensuring that everyone gets
piece of the pie now and in the future.
The preliminary results of the lansan project are as
follows:
¨ There’s
increased production of resin (lansan)
when sulphuric acid is added to the cuts.
¨ The
effects of the sulphuric acid on tree health and growth is yet to be
determined, though there does not seem to be any negative effects thus far.
¨ The
effects of the sulphuric acid on human health is not known.
¨ Recommendations
were made for testing of the lansan to determine it’s quality although feed
back received from various priests who have used some of the lansan harvested
are reported as saying the quality is very good and even better than some
imported lansan which they occasionally use.
Market and consumer research is currently
ongoing via surveys of market vendors who sell lansan.
