The Dipterocarps

Dipterocarps have long been known to foresters in view of their value as timber-producing trees. They have also long been recognized as constituting the most important plant family of some of the most biologically rich forests on the globe. The dipterocarp family includes around 500 tree species with a pantropical distribution, although the large majority are located in Southeast Asian tropical rain forests. Many Asian economies have been built on dipterocarp forest timber resources, often at a level of exploitation that is not sustainable. This has given rise to current conservation concerns, as well as fresh impetus to restore degraded dipterocarp forests. This short opening chapter introduces the Dipterocarpaceae, as tree species, and as important components of the Asian tropical forest canopy. The importance of the Dipterocarpaceae in providing economic and natural resources is outlined, as are some of the key issues relating to the science of the Dipterocarpaceae and dipterocarp forests.