ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS AND FIREWOOD PRODUCTION OF 5-YEAR-OLD LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA, ACACIA AURICULIFORMIS AND DOCYNIA INDICA AT WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT NO 32 (DOI MUSOE), CHANGWAT TAK

Abstract

Aboveground biomass and fuelwood production of 5-year-old Leucaena leucocephala, Acacia auriculiformis, and Dacynia indica were investigated at the Watershed Development Unit No 32 (Dai Musoe) of Tak province. The study site was a mountainous terrain having 35 percent slope, 800 m altitude, Red Yellow Podzolic soil, 1,705 mm annual rainfall, 23 ° C mean temperature, and 84 percent relative humidity. Sample plots of 40x40 m in size were used for data collection. Dbh of trees planted in spacing of 1.5x1.5 m were recorded. Six sample trees per species from 6 dbh classes were harvested for biomass estimation through allometric equation. Fuelwood production was estimated from stems and branches at 1 m length having dbh greater than 2 cm. The results showed that total aboveground biomasses of 5-year-old A. auriculiformis. L. luecocephala, and D. indica were of 46.944, 48.038, and 90,006 t/ha, respectively Stem and branch biomass also followed such trends, but leaf biomass of A. auriculiformis was found to be the highest, while that of L. leucocephala was the lowest. Maximum fuelwood biomass was recorded for D. indica (68.344 t/ha), followed by L. leucocephala (38.755 t/ha), and A. auriculiformis (35.841 t/ha). Fuelwaad volumes also showed similar trends, i.e., 226.75 m³/ha for D. indica, 207.62 m³/ha for L. leucocephala, and 180 m³/ha for A. auriculiformis.