Native species

Native tree species makes sense for our investors, community partners, and the environment.

Monoculture vs. polyculture

Yellow-wood is one of the native trees of PanamaForestry companies in Panama typically plant large tracts of teak trees. While teak produces one of the most valuable woods in the world, cultivating a single tree species is detrimental to local ecology. Trees grown as a monoculture “crop” typically require heavy chemical inputs to coax ideal growth, and don’t foment as much biodiversity in their canopies and understories. 

While we do cultivate teak trees in our plantations, 70% of the trees we plant are native to Panama. We allow the understory around trees to regenerate and thrive, and leave non-commercial trees standing to promote further biodiversity. Natural vegetation along river and creek banks is left standing to protect watersheds and prevent erosion. This “low impact” forestry approach encourages more diversity in our plantations and reduces the need to use chemicals to control pests and disease. 

Existing knowledge of native species

Local community partners also have more experience working with indigenous species. When maintenance is required in the plantations we make every attempt to leverage their understanding of the trees by using manual techniques over pesticides and herbicides. This is less expensive than using chemical controls and has the added benefit of providing more paid jobs for local community members. 

Finally, diversifying the mix of tree species reduces investment risk by limiting exposure to price fluctuations for a single type of wood. As the supply of tropical hardwoods declines with the amount of primary forest available for harvest, our plantations will represent an increasingly rare supply of these species.