Studies on carbon sequestration potential of farm grown casuarina clones

Abstract

Plantation forestry in India is playing a crucial role in meeting the wood requirement of the country. The productivity of plantations can be enhanced through the selection and deployment of site-specific clones with desirable traits and suitable silvicultural practices.Among the different fast-growing species, Casuarinas are preferred for environmental and commercial planting since the species have the adaptability to a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions and has also gained importance as major pulpwood species. The efficient clones can be recommended for particular end uses by assessment of different clones. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the growth performance and carbon sequestration potential of Casuarina clones in clonal trials located at Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam. At the age of three years, the growth indicators-GBH, height, basal area, volume, and total biomass-were estimated. There was a significant difference in quantitative and qualitative growth traits among the five clones.