Biomass and net production of teak plantations in a dry tropical region in India

Abstract

In an age series of teak plantations (4, 14 and 30 years old), raised in a dry tropical region in northern India, an analysis of the standing crop biomass and aboveground net production was made through non-descructive methods. Allometric regressions were developed relating girth to weights of bole wood, bole bark, branch, leaf and inflorescence. Annual girth increments were recorded. The aboveground biomass ranged from 25.7 to 76.9 t ha −1. The proportion of woody biomass was 56% of the total at 4 years, increasing to 91% of the total by 30 years. On the contrary, the proportion of leaf biomass decreased from 34% of the total at 4 years to 7% at 30 years. Very high aboveground net production was obtained at 4 years (25.6 t ha −1 year −1), but net production decreased with age (14 and 12.9 t ha −1 year −1 at 14 and 30 years). The share of bole decreased from 54% of total net production at 4 years to 44% of the total at 30 years, with increase in age much less dark than wood was produced. The reproductive parts comprised 2% of biomass but accounted for 9% of net production at 30 years. At 30 years these plantations attained the level of biomass and net production found in uneven-aged natural dry deciduous forests of the same region.