Shorea

The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a Shorea faguetiana found in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, in Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo). In Sabah's Tawau Hills National Park, at least five other species of the genus have been measured to be over tall: S. argentifolia, S. gibbosa, S. johorensis, S. smithiana, and S. superba. Borneo is also the hotspot of Shorea diversity with 138 species, of which 91 are endemic to the island. Reproduction The majority of Shorea spp. are general flowering species, which is an event occurring at irregular intervals of 3–10 years, in which nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families bloom heavily. General flowering is thought to have evolved to satiate seed predators and/or to facilitate pollination. Flowering is thought to be triggered by droughts that occur during transition periods from La Niña to El Niño. The magnitude of a flowering event is suggested to be dependent on the timing of the droughts associated with the El Niño southern oscillation cycle, with the largest events occurring after an interval of several years with no flowering. Seed predation and mortality have an impact on the reproduction process of dipterocarps such as Shorea. In Singapore, crab-eating macaque and moth larvae are known seed predators. == Taxonomy ==

Shorea fossils (linked with the modern sal, S. robusta, which is still a dominant tree species in Indian forests) are known from as early as the Eocene of Gujarat, India. They are identifiable by the amber fossils formed by their dammar resin. Other fossils include a Miocene-aged fossilized fruit from the same region; this fruit most closely resembles the extant S. macroptera of the Malay Peninsula. Sections and selected species ;Anthoshorea • Shorea agamii P.S.Ashton ;Brachypterae • Shorea smithiana Symington ;Doona • Shorea zeylanica (Thwaites) P.S.Ashton ;Mutica • Shorea argentifolia Symington • Shorea parvifolia Dyer ;Neohopea • Shorea isoptera P.S.Ashton ;Ovalis • Shorea ovalis (Korth.) Blume ;Pachycarpae • Shorea macrophylla (de Vriese) P.S.Ashton ;Pentacme • Shorea siamensis Miq. ;Richetioides • Shorea richetia Symington ;Rubella • Shorea albida Symington ;Shorea • Shorea guiso (Blanco) Blume ;Not placed • Shorea robusta C.F.Gaertn. (sal tree) • Shorea thorelii Pierre ex Laness. Etymology The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the governor-general of the British East India Company, 1793–1798. == Distribution and habitat ==

Shorea spp. are native to Southeast Asia, from northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In west Malesia and the Philippines, this genus dominates the skyline of the tropical forests. == Conservation ==

Of the 148 species of Shorea currently listed on the IUCN Redlist, most are listed as being critically endangered. Some concerns exist 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. ==Uses==

Many economically important timber trees belong to Shorea. They are sold under various trade names including lauan, lawaan, meranti, seraya, balau, bangkirai, and Philippine mahogany. The Philippine mahogany sold in North America is not a true mahogany at all, but a mixture of woods from the genus Shorea. Lauan is commonly used as paneling in recreational vehicles; the RV industry is the largest consumer of tropical plywood in the U.S. Its use contributes to deforestation in Indonesia, threatening endangered species and releasing carbon stored in forests. Other products from Shorea spp. include dammar and illipe. 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 websites as an important source of dammar; however, this appears to be either a trade name or a synonym. Borneo tallow nut oil is extracted from the egg-shaped, winged fruit of Shorea species. ==References==