Improving forest genetics
To strengthen our capacity to bolster the forest’s value, we have been working on a cutting-edge program to improve the forest genetics of our native species in cooperation with the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC), one of the world’s leading institutions in cloning of forest species.
This program entails cloning the highest-quality individual trees: taller, thicker, healthier and straighter trees that grow quickly and easily.
BAM Genetic Capital: 850,000 native trees
Of the trees that have been developed by selecting the best specimens in Peru, 20 thousand have been categorized as “plus,” meaning that they possess the highest genetic quality. We are in the process of reducing the selection to reach the 10 best specimens, which will be used to form the basis of our cloning program.
This process will increase the productivity of our plantations up to 25% and will position us to contribute to the recovery and conservation of highly threatened species such as the shihuahuaco.
Shihuahuaco
The shihuahuaco is one of the most attractive species in the international market due to the hardness and quality of its wood as well as its excellent capacity to resist pests and moisture damage. For decades, this species, similar to the mahogany tree, has been over-exploited to supply growing demand in the national and international market for inputs for floors, decks and other structures. According to statistics from the National Forest Service for Wild Flora and Fauna of Peru (SERFOR), it is estimated that over a period of ten years, approximately 74 shihuahuaco trees were extracted a day in Peru. This number is particularly astounding given that it represents a loss of 579,459 specimens of this species by 2025 and indicates that by 2030, this valuable species will be extinct in two of the most important forest regions of Peru: Loreto and San Martin.