Shorea is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of about 196
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of mainly
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests.From 40 to 75%...
trees in the
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
DipterocarpaceaeDipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the
British East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
, from Northern
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
to
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
. In west
MalesiaMalesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundary of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. Malesia was first identified as a floristic province that included the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea, based on a shared tropical flora derived mostly from Asia but...
and the Philippines this genus dominates the skyline of the tropical
forestA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on the various criteria. These plant communities presently cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators,...
s. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3 m tall
Shorea faguetianaShorea faguetiana is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3 m tall Shorea faguetiana in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . ...
in the
Tawau Hills National ParkTawau Hills National Park, also Tawau Hills Park, was established in 1979, primarily as a protection for the water catchment area of Tawau town, in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It is located 24 kilometers from Tawau, and comprises 279.72 km² of lowland dipterocarp rainforest,...
, in
SabahSabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo . It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
on the island of
BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...
, and in that park at least 5 other species of the genus have been measured to be over 80 m tall:
S. argentifoliaShorea argentifolia is an emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found on the island of Borneo. It is threatened by habitat loss. The tallest recorded specimen is 84.9 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah.-Sources:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on...
,
S. gibbosaShorea gibbosa is a large emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is native to Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore . The tallest measured specimen is 81,1 metres tall, in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Source:* Ashton, P....
,
S. johorensisShorea johorensis is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is a large emergent tree growing typically to 65 m tall. The tallest measured specimen is 82.4 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.-Sources:*...
,
S. smithianaShorea smithiana is a large emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found on the island of Borneo . It is threatened by habitat loss. The tallest measured specimen is 82.3 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Sources:* Ashton, P....
and
S. superbaShorea superba is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to the stature and elegance of the tree. It is a vast emergent tree, growing to 75 m tall, the tallest measured specimen is 84.4 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah...
.
Shorea is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of about 196
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of mainly
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests.From 40 to 75%...
trees in the
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
DipterocarpaceaeDipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the
British East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
, from Northern
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
to
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
. In west
MalesiaMalesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundary of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. Malesia was first identified as a floristic province that included the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea, based on a shared tropical flora derived mostly from Asia but...
and the Philippines this genus dominates the skyline of the tropical
forestA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on the various criteria. These plant communities presently cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators,...
s. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3 m tall
Shorea faguetianaShorea faguetiana is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3 m tall Shorea faguetiana in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . ...
in the
Tawau Hills National ParkTawau Hills National Park, also Tawau Hills Park, was established in 1979, primarily as a protection for the water catchment area of Tawau town, in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It is located 24 kilometers from Tawau, and comprises 279.72 km² of lowland dipterocarp rainforest,...
, in
SabahSabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo . It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
on the island of
BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...
, and in that park at least 5 other species of the genus have been measured to be over 80 m tall:
S. argentifoliaShorea argentifolia is an emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found on the island of Borneo. It is threatened by habitat loss. The tallest recorded specimen is 84.9 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah.-Sources:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on...
,
S. gibbosaShorea gibbosa is a large emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is native to Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore . The tallest measured specimen is 81,1 metres tall, in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Source:* Ashton, P....
,
S. johorensisShorea johorensis is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is a large emergent tree growing typically to 65 m tall. The tallest measured specimen is 82.4 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.-Sources:*...
,
S. smithianaShorea smithiana is a large emergent rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found on the island of Borneo . It is threatened by habitat loss. The tallest measured specimen is 82.3 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Sources:* Ashton, P....
and
S. superbaShorea superba is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to the stature and elegance of the tree. It is a vast emergent tree, growing to 75 m tall, the tallest measured specimen is 84.4 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah...
. Borneo is also the hotspot of
Shorea diversity with 138 species, of which 91 are endemic to the island.
Reproductive biology
The majority of
Shorea are
general flowering species. General flowering is an event that occurs at irregular intervals of 3–10 yr, in which nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families bloom heavily. It is thought that general flowering evolved to satiate seed predators and/or to facilitate pollinaton. It appears that both of these explanations hold merit. Flowering is thought to be triggered by droughts that occur during transition periods from
La NiñaLa Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon similar to El Niño. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 0.5 °C. In the United States, an episode of La Niña is defined as a period of at least 5...
to El Niño. It is suggested that the magnitude of a flowering event is dependent on the timing of the droughts associated with the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) cycle, with the largest events occurring after an interval of several years with no flowering.
Shorea are insect pollinated and a variety of insects have been implicated, with species within the sections of
Shorea sharing the same insect pollinators. Flowering within a section is sequential within one habitat and species association to prevent competition for pollinators.
Economic uses
Many economically important
timberTimber may refer to:*Lumber, i.e. wood materials* Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Oregon* Timber , a 1984 arcade game by Bally Midway* An alternative spelling for Timbre...
trees belong to
Shorea. They are sold under various trade names including "Meranti", "Lauan" (or "Luan"), "Seraya", "Balau", and "Bangkirai". (For a list of species associated with each name, see the article on
Dipterocarp timber classificationThe following table associates tree species, wood name and wood colour....
.) The alluringly-named "Philippine Mahogany" sold in North America is not a
mahoganyThe name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-coloured hardwood, it is an American Indian word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany. Mahogany it was next equally applied to the wood of Swietenia macrophylla,...
at all, but actually a mixture of woods from the genus
Shorea. Other products from
Shorea spp. include Dammar and Illepe. Dammar is a resin collected from a variety of species. It varies in colour among the different taxonomic groups.
Shorea wiesneri is listed in many website as an important source of dammar, however, this appears to be either a trade name or a synonym.
Conservation status
One hundred and forty eight species of
Shorea are currently listed on the IUCN Redlist. The majority of which are listed as being critically endangered. There are some concerns regarding the IUCN's listing of Dipterocarps, as the criteria used to assess the level of threat are based mainly on animal population characteristics. This is thought to overstate the threat assessment, when applied to long-lived habitat-specific organisms such as trees. Furthermore one species reportedly extinct, on the IUCN Red list,
Shorea cuspidata is reported to be common in the
Bako National ParkBako National Park, established in 1957, is the oldest national park in Sarawak, eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It covers an area of 27.27 square kilometres at the tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula at the mouth of the Bako and Kuching Rivers. It is some 37 kilometers by road from Kuching...
and also present in the
Lambir National ParkLambir National Park is situated about 25km from Miri in Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is a small but important park, composed largely of mixed dipterocarp forest. A census of all trees in a 52 hectare plot found 1175 different species...
. The
Shorea species page gives threat classifications.
Conservation Status of Shorea spp.
| IUCN red list The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1948, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is the world's main authority on the conservation...
category |
Number of species |
| Extinct |
1 |
Critically EndangeredOrganisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or completely extinct in the immediate future.-IUCN Category:...
|
102 |
| Endangered |
34 |
| Vulnerable A vulnerable species is a species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve...
|
3 |
| Least concern Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, nor Near Threatened, nor Conservation Dependent...
|
6 |
| Data deficient Data Deficient is a category applied by the IUCN to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessarily indicate that the species has not been extensively studied; but it does indicate that little or no...
|
2 |
| Not evaluated |
~48 |