Some Useful Nigerian Timbers, Their Destroying Agents and Measures for Their Prevention

Abstract

The main source of supply of traditional Nigerian building timbers such as Iroko, Mahoganies, Obeche, has been from areas outside the forest reserves. As the stocking of timber in these areas become less, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain the traditional species. Much longer distances have for example to be travelled to find and take qualities that would have been considered low and inferior only a few years ago. These give rise to high conversion wastes and cost, explain why timber is a very expensive material in Nigeria today. It is only natural that as the sources of supply remain inadequate while the demand for building timbers continue to increase with improving living standards and with no immediate future prospects for relief, those species which are at present considered of no use but are still in plentiful supply and which have been proven by due processes of research to be suitable for certain purposes will come into their own.These study will look into some of the insect attack, fungal attack and other form of wood-decaying agents, names/ scientific name and their economic importance of some timbers commonly found in Nigeria that are of high qualities in the country.

Keyword: Traditional timbers, vernacular-names, suitability, availability, destroying agents.