Fuelwood Value Index Research Articles

Firewood properties of some Indian mountain tree and shrub species

Quantitative analysis of 26 indigenous mountain fuelwood species of North-Eastern Himalayan region was carried out to identify trees with potential for fuelwood production. A fuelwood value index (FVI) was defined as calorific value x density/ash content. Betula nitida, Machilus bombycina, Itea macrophylla, Cryptomeria japonica, Gmelina arborea, Simingtonia populnea, Macaranga denticulata and Schima wallichii were shown to have promising firewood production.

FUEL WOOD VALUE INDEX OF WOODY TREE SPECIES FROM MAMLAY WATERSHED IN SOUTH SIKKIM, INDIA

SUMMARY Wood attributes such as calorific values, wood density, moisture and ash content of 66 woody (12 subtropical and 54 temperate) species from temperate and sub-tropical natural forest of Mamlay Watershed, Sikkim, India, were examined and used for estimating a fuel wood value index (FVI). The rankings as fuel wood by the local community and by their wood attributes of a sub-set were compared. Among the species highly valued by the local people, Castanopsis tribuloides, Quercus lineata and Q. lamellose showed high FVI values; Eurya acuminata, and Cinnamomum impressinervium with moderate preference scores also had lower FVI values. Andromeda elliptica and Engelhardtia sp. were ranked lower by local people than was expected on the basis of their FVIs. Both the FVI value and community preference should be used in assessing species' value for afforestation and management.

Biomass productivity and wood energy of Salix species after 2 years growth in SRIC fertilized with wastewater sludge

The energy equivalent of willows in short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) varies in terms of yield and woody biomass characteristics. Three willow species ( Salix discolor Mühl., Salix petiolaris Smith and Salix viminalis L.) were planted on two sites, well-drained and poorly drained, in two different densities (20 000 and 30 000 plants per ha). Four doses of dried and granulated sludge were applied: the equivalents of 0, 100, 200 and 300 kg “available” N per ha. At the end of the second season, above-ground biomass was similar for S. discolor and S. viminalis, and greater than that of S. petiolaris on both sites and for all sludge treatments. On the well-drained site, each increment in the sludge dose significantly increased the performance of the species, regardless of plant density. Fertilized with a sludge dose equivalent to 300 kg N per ha, S. viminalis and S. discolor yielded 30.17 and 24.97 t/ha of dry matter respectively. On the poorly drained site, differences in performance were also observed between fertilized and unfertilized plots, but not among the various treatments. The calorific value of the wood of the three species being similar (19.21–19.59 kJ/g), the energy equivalent of a hectare of willows is proportional to the yield of each species. Thus the energy equivalent of S. viminalis and S. discolor is two to three times that of S. petiolaris. S. viminalis had the highest woody biomass quality, with an FVI (fuelwood value index) of 1030.58 (100%), followed by S. petiolaris with 954.25 (92.6%) and S. discolor with 849.08 (82.4%).

Fuelwood production potential of six Prosopis species on an alkaline soil site

The biomass potential of six species of Prosopis was evaluated on highly alkaline soil site. Prosopis alba I was found to have the fastest growth rate and highest above-ground biomass production. P. juliflora ranked next. P. cineraria showed high plant establishment but relatively slow growth. The performance of P. glandulosa was poor on such sites. The high fuelwood value index and rapid growth rate of P. juliflora and P. alba makes them suitable for short-rotation fuelwood forestry programmes on waste-lands. Selection of promising genotypes is suggested as a means of improvement in yields.

Fuelwood value index in components of ten tree species of arid region in India

Calorific values of six indigenous species and four exotics were determined for components such as stump, main stem, tree top, branches, foliage and bark. Tree species selected were: Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Dalbergia sissoo, Prosopis cineraria, Zizyphus mauritiana (all indigenous); Acacia auriculiformis, A. tortilis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. tereticornis (all exotics). Studies indicated that indigenous tree species are better suited as fuelwood species as they contain high-density wood, low ash content and low nitrogen percentage. The most promising species were A. nilotica, C. equisetifolia and Z. mauritiana. The tree components among the groups (indigenous and exotics) and within the species differed very significantly ( P < 0.01) in calorific values. The calorific means ranged from 18.7 to 21.77 MJ/kg for the indigenous tree species, and 16.3 to 20.0 MJ/kg for the exotic tree species. The fuelwood value index (FVI) was also worked out, taking into account the calorific value and density of the wood as positive characteristics, and high water content and high ash content as negative characteristics. It was observed that the FVI of the indigenous tree species was high.

Trees and windbreaks in the Sahel: establishment, growth, nutritive, and calorific values

Tree and windbreak species considered for the Southern Sahelian Zone (SSZ) of West Africa have to be evaluated following multiple criteria such as fast establishment, shelter efficiency, production of feed for livestock, and firewood. An on-station experiment was conducted on a sandy soil in southwest Niger between 1988 and 1993 to assess the establishment, growth, nutritive, and calorific values of seven species considered for windbreaks:Andropogon gayanus, Bauhinia rufescens, Acacia holosericea, Acacia nilotica, Acacia senegal, Faidherbia albida, andAzadirachta indica. Mortality and stem diameter were monitored twice a year. From 20 months after planting (MAP) onwards, species were annually trimmed to 2 m height and to 1 m sidewards of the main stem. Fresh and dry weight of leaves, twigs, wood, and fruits were recorded. Leaves were analyzed for crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) content. Wood was analyzed for its gross calorific value and its ash content. At 56 MAP, all species had less than 5% morality, except forA. holosericea, which had a mortality rate of 15.9%.A. indica andA. holosericea showed the highest stem diameter among species with 12.2 and 11.8 cm, respectively, at 56 MAP.A. senegal had the highest dry matter production with 22.3 t ha−1 at 56 MAP, followed byA. indica (12.0 t ha−1),A. holosericea (11.7 t ha−1) andB. rufescens (11.2 t ha−1), butA. holosericea was most productive at earlier harvests. OnlyA. senegal (6.4 t ha−1) andA. indica (5.1 t ha−1) had a significant wood production, whereasA. holosericea (5.7 t ha−1) had the highest phyllodes production. Leaves ofA. senegal andA. indica had highest CP contents of 258 and 214 g kg−1, respectively. The leaves of all species exceptA. gayanus had a higher CP:ME ratio than natural pasture in the region. The calorific values of firewood did not differ significantly among the species.A. nilotica, the species with one of the lowest firewood production, had the highest Fuelwood Value Index of 6.6. The choice of species for planting trees and windbreaks in the SSZ must be oriented along these criteria. Further research should be directed towards cost-benefit analyses, land tenure and property rights in combination with surveys on local knowledge of rural people.

Evaluation of fuelwood quality of indigenous and exotic tree species of India's semiarid region

The fuelwood potential of indigenous (Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Dalbergia sissoo, Prosopis cineraria andZizyphus mauritiana) and exotics (Acacia auriculiformis, A. tortilis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis andE. tereticornis) trees were studied. Calorific value variations for components, such as, stump, main stem, treetop, branches, foliage and bark, were determined. Tree components differed highly significantly (P<0.01) among groups (indigenous and exotics) and within species. The calorific means ranged from 18.7 to 20.8 MJ/kg for indigenous tree species and 17.3 to 19.3 MJ/kg for exotics. Besides calorific values, other fuelwood characteristics, such as, density, ash, biomass/ash ratio, moisture and nitrogen content were also studied. It was observed that indigenous tree species are better suited as fuelwood species as they contain high density wood, low ash content and low N percentage. The fuelwood value index (FVI) was found to be high of indigenous tree species and was maximum forCasuarina equisetifolia (2815). The most promising tree species were in the order ofC. equisetifolia, A. nilotica andZ. mauritiana.

Fuelwood evaluation of some Himalayan trees and shrubs

Quantitative characteristics of 33 trees and shrubs of Garhwal Himalaya show that some of these species have promising fuel characteristics. A fuelwood-value index has been devised to identify trees, with potential for fuelwood production. The most promising species are Murraya Exotica, Schlichera Trijuga, Ulmus Wallichiana, Flacourtia Ramontchi, Rubus Niveus, Callicarpa-Macrophylla, and Eleadendron Glaucum.

Fuelwood characteristics of some Indian mountain species

Qualitative analysis of 20 indegenous mountain taxa of Garhwal Himalaya proved that temperate species are best suited as firewood as they contain high density wood, low ash and moisture fractions, high biomass to ash ratio and low nitrogen percentage. Our resuults showed that Anogeissus latifolia (a tropical taxa) had an average calorific value density and comparatively low ash content and thus has the highest Fuelwood Value Index (FVI). Morus serrata, Rhus javanica, Viburnum spp., Symplocos spp., Rhamnus triqueter, and Salix spp., have promising fuelwood properties.

Fuelwood characteristics of some mountain trees and shrubs

Qualitative analysis of 33 mountain tree and shrub species which grow in the Garhwal Himalaya indicated that temperate species are better suited as fuelwood species as they contain high density wood, low ash content and low N-percentage. The fuelwood value index showed that Premna barbata from a tropical area had a high calorific value, low ash content, low nitrogen percentage and thus has the highest value. The most promising species were Pyracantha crenulata, Daphniphyllum himalense, Lyonia ovalifolia, Cotinus coggygria, Cotoneaster affinis and Prunus spp.

FUELWOOD VALUE INDEX OF INDIAN MOUNTAIN TREE SPECIES

SUMMARY A Fuelwood Value Index (FVI) was defined as (Calorific Value × Density)/(Ash Content × Water Content) to identify trees with potential for fuelwood production. The woods of forty four Indian mountain tree species were tested and their FVI calculated. The most promising species were Punica granatum, Sapindus mukorossi, Rhododendron arboreum, Quer cus spp., Adina cor difolia, Ougeinia dalbergioides and Pyrus pashia.