Saturday, May 19, 2007

Tatajuba

I'm losing some really fine trees because of the construction of the power line that follows the road into the Bosque. Tatajuba (Bagassa guianensis) is one of the trees being cut in the 15 meter clearing required by Celpa, the power company. In the attached image you can see a couple of these trees which were chainsawed down this week. Although the lumber isn't worth as much as mahogany and some of the other noble woods, it's being used with more frequency in-country and on the foreign market. In Holland and some other countries, it's a substitute for Asian teak, especially in naval construction. Notice the coagulated latex on the cuts. In a standing situation it flows from the tree much like rubber when it's tapped. I'm trying to work out something with my neighbor so that we can both utilize these logs. The equipment and transportation for getting these logs to the reception center area is too much for my pocketbook. In the meanwhile, I hope that some logging outfit doesn't see them. They could be ripped off fast.