Obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum.): poor products development wood but good environmental tree in Nigeria

Obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum.) is a large tropical tree, the wood products of which are either in solid or reconstituted forms. These items are extremely vulnerable to concomitant insect attack. Although established as a successful plantation species for veneering and plywood production, Obeche is also considered as a good environmental tree in Nigeria. However, there is very little specific information that substantiates this potential. We report on the organisms inducing biodeterioration of Obeche wood products and describe the characteristics of Obeche trees in terms of environmental suitability between 2012 and 2016. All the 47 Obeche wood-based products (OWBPs) studied, comprising 12 beehives, 10 food canteen stalls, 10 office tables, 10 laboratory cabinets and 5 office walls were economically and dominantly co-infested by beetles and termites. Interestingly, during the four-year observation period, all the eight Obeche trees encountered were found to exhibit high stability with excellent resistance to hollowness and to degradative pests, even at around 2 m Diameter at Breast Height (DBH). This reflects its robust biophysical protective barrier mechanisms. Additionally, there were observations of enhanced coexistence with other tree species, including shrubs and grasses. This indicates a tolerance potential role at improving the relative contributions of several species (plants community) to ameliorate tropical environmental degradation.