Survival, growth, wood basic density and wood biomass of seven-year-old Casuarina species/provenances grown at Kongowe, Kibaha, Tanzania

Abstract

A performance comparison of seven-year-old individuals of 13 Casuarina species/provenances in terms of survival, growth (diameter, height and volume), wood basic density and wood biomass was undertaken at Kongowe, Kibaha, Tanzania. The trial was laid out using a randomised complete block design with four replications. The results showed significant differences (P < 0.0001) in all parameters. Casuarina equisetifolia from Montazah National Park, Egypt, had the lowest untransformed survival (48.8%), whereas C. equisetifolia from Wagait Tower (North Timor), Indonesia, had the highest survival (87.5%). Casuarina equisetifolia from Montazah National Park, Egypt, had the lowest mean diameter (8.6 cm) while the C. junghuhniana provenance from Timor, Indonesia (seedlot no. 19489) had the highest diameter (14.8 cm). Casuarina equisetifolia from Montazah National Park, Egypt, had the lowest mean height (16.2 m), volume (22.1 m³ ha⁻¹) and biomass production (23.5 t ha⁻¹), whereas C. equisetifolia from Hadsamira Songkhla, Thailand, had the highest mean height (24.3 m), volume (66.4 m³ ha⁻¹) and biomass production (72.9 t ha⁻¹). In terms of wood basic density, the C. junghuhniana provenance from Timor, Indonesia (seedlot no. 19489) had the lowest (617 kg m⁻³), whereas C. equisetifolia from Wagait Tower (North Timor), Indonesia, had the highest (731 kg m⁻³). Ordinal ranking for the best-performing species/provenances revealed that the best two provenances were C. equisetifolia from Hadsamira Sonkhla, Thailand, and C. junghuhniana from Timor, Indonesia (seedlot no. 19491). The two poorest-performing provenances were C. equisetifolia from Montazah National Park, Egypt, and C. equisetifolia from Cotonou, Benin. The outstanding species/provenances are recommended for pilot planting at Kibaha and similar sites.

Keywords: Casuarina species, provenances, performance, ordinal ranking