Agroforestry Notes For IBPS AFO NABARD

Agroforestry Notes

These Agroforestry Notes are essential for IBPS AFO, NABARD, RRB SO, and other agriculture exams. In this post, we have comprehensively covered all the different topics related to agroforestry.

Introduction to Agroforestry:

• Agroforestry is a collective land-use system that integrates trees with crops and/or animals on the same land unit.

Key features:

1. Balances production of multiple outputs with protection of the resource base.
2. Emphasizes the use of multiple indigenous trees and shrubs.
3. Particularly suitable for low-input conditions and fragile environments.
4. Involves socio-cultural values more than most other land-use systems.
5. Structurally and functionally more complex than monoculture.

Definition:

• Agroforestry is any sustainable land-use system that maintains or increases total yields by combining food crops (annuals) with tree crops (perennials) and/or livestock on the same unit of land. It involves management practices that suit the social and cultural characteristics of the local people and the economic and ecological conditions of the area.
• Agroforestry is a collective name for a land-use system and technology whereby woody perennials are deliberately used on the same land management unit as agricultural crops and/or animals in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. It involves both ecological and economical interactions between the various components.

Difference Between Social Forestry and Agroforestry:

• Social forestry focuses on providing continuous goods and services for local people outside conventional forests.
• Agroforestry combines trees with crops or animals for sustainable land use.

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Different Terminologies for Tree Cultivation:

1. Farm Forestry: Commercial tree growing by farmers on their own land, integrated with other farm operations.
2. Extension Forestry: Promotes tree growth in areas devoid of vegetation, including mixed forestry, shelterbelts, and linear strip plantations.
3. Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests: Focuses on ecological restoration and meeting socio-economic needs.
4. Recreation Forestry: Raises trees for recreational purposes, also known as aesthetic forestry.

Types of Agroforestry Systems:

• Structural Basis:
  • Agrisilvicultural Systems: Intercropping trees with crops.
  • Silvopastoral Systems: Combines woody plants with pasture.
  • Agrosilvopastoral Systems: Combines perennials with annuals and pastures.
• Functional Basis:
  • Productive Functions: Produces food, fodder, fuelwood, etc.
  • Protective Functions: Provides windbreaks, soil conservation, etc.
• Socio-Economic Classification:
  • Commercial, Intermediate, and Subsistence systems based on production scale.
• Ecological Classification:
  • Divided into Humid/Subhumid, Semiarid/Arid, and Highlands.

Benefits of Agroforestry Systems:

• Environmental Benefits:
  • Reduces pressure on natural forests.
  • Efficient nutrient recycling and soil protection.
• Economic Benefits:
  • Increases outputs and reduces crop failure risks.
  • Enhances farm income and productivity.
• Social Benefits:
  • Improves living standards and nutrition.
  • Stabilizes communities and eliminates the need for shifting farming sites.

Agroforestry Systems Classification:

• Necessity: Allows evaluation and improvement planning.
• Criteria for Classification:
  • Structural basis
  • Functional basis
  • Socioeconomic basis
  • Ecological basis

Classification Based on Nature of Components:

Agrisilviculture/Silviagriculture/Agrosilviculture: Concurrent production of agricultural and tree crops.

Forms:

1. Improved fallow species
2. Taungya system
3. Multispecies tree gardens
4. Alley cropping
5. Multipurpose trees and shrubs on farmlands
6. Crop combinations with plantation crops
7. Agroforestry for fuelwood production
8. Shelter belts

Improved Fallow Species in Shifting Cultivation:

• • • Shifting Cultivation: Prevalent in various regions, but now a source of ecological degradation.
    • Improved Fallow Species: Aim to recover depleted soil nutrients; best species induce nitrogen fixation.
    • Advantages and Control Measures discussed.

Taungya System of Cultivation:

• • • Introduced as a means of establishing timber plantations; now recognized as AF system.
    • Types: Departmental, Leased, Village Taungya.
    • Examples and Details provided.

Multi-species Tree Gardens:

• • • Various tree species grown mixed; production of food, fodder, and wood products.

Alley Cropping (Hedgerow Intercropping):

• • • Trees grown in wide rows with arable crops in alleys; pruned trees used as mulch.
    • Purpose: Maintain/increase crop yields, tree product utilization.
    • Characteristics of species discussed.

Multipurpose Trees and Shrubs on Farmlands:

• • • Various multipurpose tree species scattered on farmlands.
    • Purpose: Production of tree products, protective function as fencing.
    • Examples provided.

Crop Combinations with Plantation Crops:

• • • Perennial trees and shrubs combined with plantation crops in various ways.
    • Examples provided for each type of plantation crop.

Agroforestry for Fuelwood Production:

• • • Multipurpose fuelwood/firewood species inter-planted on/aground agricultural lands.
    • Purpose: Protective role, species examples provided.

Shelterbelt:

• • • Wide belt of trees, shrubs, and grasses planted to reduce wind velocity and erosion.
    • Importance of orientation, height, spacing, and species discussed.
    • Advantages and Method of raising plants provided.

SILVI-PASTORAL SYSTEM (TREES + PASTURE and/or ANIMALS)

• Definition: Silvi-pastoral systems involve the combination of woody plants with pasture.

Purposes:

• • Trees and shrubs may produce fodder for livestock or serve other functions like timber, fuelwood, fruit, or soil improvement.
  • Essential in dry regions to meet year-round demands for wood and fodder.

Main Categories: A. Protein Bank:

• • Multipurpose trees rich in protein are planted on or around farmlands and rangelands.
  • Provide cut-and-carry fodder during winter fodder deficit periods.
  • Example species: Grewia optiva, Bauhinia variegata, Morus alba, etc. B. Live Fence of Fodder Trees and Hedges:
  • Fodder trees and shrubs planted as live fences to protect property from stray animals.
  • Species include: Sesbania grandiflora, Gliricidia sepium, Erythrina abyssinica, etc. C. Trees and Shrubs on Pasture Land:
  • Various tree and shrub species scattered irregularly or arranged systematically.

III. AGRISILVOPASTORAL/AGROSILVOPASTORAL SYSTEM (CROPS + TREE + GRASSES/ANIMALS)

• Subgroups: A. Home Gardens:
  • Integration of trees, crops, and animals in the same land unit.
  • Found in high rainfall areas of South and Southeast Asia, prevalent in Southern and Northeastern states of India.
  • Features and components discussed, including fruit trees, timber trees, shrubs, and livestock. B. Woody Hedge Rows for Browsing, Mulching, Green Manuring, and Soil Conservation:
  • Fast-growing woody hedges planted for various purposes such as browsing, mulching, green manuring, and soil conservation.
  • Aim is to produce food, fodder, fuelwood, and conserve soil.

1. OTHER SPECIFIED SYSTEMS

• Apiculture with Trees:
  • Planting nectar and pollen-rich trees/shrubs along farm bunds to support beekeeping.
  • Main purpose: honey production.
• Aqua-forestry:
  • Common in coastal regions, involving fish/prawn cultivation in saline water with trees grown on pond bunds.
  • Trees provide litter-feed to fishery and additional income to farmers.
• Multipurpose Wood Lots:
  • Location-specific multipurpose tree species grown for wood, fodder, soil protection, etc.

Arrangement of Components in Agroforestry Systems

• Spatial Arrangement:
  • Mixed dense, mixed sparse, zonal-microzonal, macrozonal arrangements discussed.
• Temporal Arrangement:
  • Coincident, concomitant, intermittent, interpolated, overlapping, separate arrangements explained.

Basis for Classification:

• Functional Basis: Major function or role of the system, such as production or protection.
• Socioeconomic Basis: Level of inputs, management intensity, and commercial goals.
• Ecological Basis: Environmental condition and ecological suitability based on certain types of systems for specific ecological conditions.

Introduction:

• India, the world’s second-most populous country.
• Population of 1.25 billion, with 75% residing in rural areas heavily reliant on forests for energy needs.
• Demand for fuelwood surpasses food consumption, indicating the need for increased wood production.
• Approximately 400 million tonnes of cattle dung burnt annually, potentially improving soil productivity.
• Use of fuelwood is a significant cause of deforestation, necessitating integration into agriculture through agroforestry.

Criteria for Selecting Tree Species for Energy Plantation:

• Fast growth, high yield, coppicing, and pollarding capacity.
• Conical or cylindrical shape.
• High calorific value, pest resistance, nitrogen fixation capability.
• Multiple uses, such as fodder and non-timber forest products.

Suitable Species for Firewood/Fuelwood/Energy Plantation for Different Regions:

• Various species suitable for different climatic regions, including Acacia, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus, tailored to specific conditions.

Advantages of Energy Plantations:

• Reduced emissions compared to fossil fuels.
• Land rehabilitation and rural employment opportunities.
• Carbon neutrality and lower energy costs.
• Nutrient recovery through biomass conversion.
• Dependable and renewable energy sources.
• Aesthetic value, windbreak, and shelterbelts.
• Provision of fodder and non-timber forest products.
• Safe handling and disposal of by-products.
• Ecological and social sustainability.

National Agroforestry Policy

Basic Objectives:

1. Encourage and expand tree plantation in complementarity and integrated manner with crops and livestock to improve productivity, employment, income, and livelihoods of rural households, especially smallholder farmers.
2. Protect and stabilize ecosystems, and promote resilient cropping and farming systems to minimize the risk during extreme climatic events.
3. Meet the raw material requirements of wood-based industries and reduce the import of wood and wood products to save foreign exchange.
4. Supplement the availability of agroforestry products (AFPs), such as fuelwood, fodder, non-timber forest produce, and small timber of rural and tribal populations, thereby reducing pressure on existing forests.
5. Complement achieving the target of increasing forest/tree cover to promote ecological stability, especially in vulnerable regions.
6. Develop capacity and strengthen research in agroforestry and create a massive people’s movement for achieving these objectives and to minimize pressure on existing forests.

Strategy:

1. Establishment of Institutional Setup at the National Level to Promote Agroforestry
   • Creation of an institutional mechanism, such as a Mission or Board, for implementing the agroforestry policy.
   • Providing a platform for multi-stakeholders to jointly plan and identify priorities and strategies, inter-ministerial coordination, programmatic convergence, financial resources mobilization and leveraging, capacity building facilitation, and technical and management support.
   • Location of the Agroforestry Mission/Board in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
   • Involvement of various ministries in convergence and dovetailing with existing programs.
   • Responsibility for agroforestry research and development (R&D), including capacity development, pilot studies/testing, and action research, to be assigned to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
2. Simple Regulatory Mechanism
   • Creation of simple mechanisms/procedures to regulate the harvesting and transit of agroforestry produce within states and across various states forming an ecological region.
   • Simplification of procedures, with permissions extended through a transparent system within a given time schedule.
   • Identification and alignment of restricting regulations imposed by multiple agencies of state governments (Department of Forest, land revenue, other local bodies) on harvesting and transit with the proposed simplified mechanism.
3. Development of a Sound Database & Information System
4. Investing in Research, Extension, Capacity Building, and Related Services
5. Improving Farmers’ Access to Quality Planting Material
6. Providing Institutional Credit and Insurance Cover for Agroforestry
7. Facilitating Increased Participation of Industries Dealing with Agroforestry Produce
8. Strengthening Farmer Access to Markets for Tree Products
9. Incentives to Farmers for Adopting Agroforestry
10. Promoting Sustainable Agroforestry for Renewable Biomass-Based Energy

Definitions and Terms Used in Forestry:

Forestry:

• Definition: The theory and practice of creating, conserving, and scientifically managing forests, along with the utilization of their resources.

Silviculture:

• Definition: Focuses on aspects of raising forest crops, including establishment, development, and reproduction.
• Objective: To ensure the sustainable growth and management of forest stands.

Pollarding:

• Process of cutting branches of a plant to stimulate the growth of new shoots, often done at a height above browsing animals’ reach.
• Widely used on trees like willows, anjans, and silver oaks.

Lopping:

• Involves cutting branches or young stems to encourage new shoot growth.
• Commonly done on trees like Diospyros for bidi industry and species like Quercus incana for silkworm rearing.

Pruning:

• Cutting branches from a tree’s bole to maintain timber quality.

Taungya System:

• Originated in Burma in 1850 for replanting teak areas.
• Laborers raise crops on forest land while also responsible for planting and protecting forest species.

Coppice:

• Cutting plants or seedlings near ground level to stimulate new shoot growth.

Seed Orchards:

• Plantations raised exclusively for seed production.

Seed Production Areas/Stands:

• Areas exclusively set aside to produce high-quality seeds from genetically superior trees.
• Types: Clonal (grafting clones of superior trees) and Seedling (seeds from superior trees).

Pricking Out:

• Transferring seedlings from seedling beds to nursery beds or boxes for further growth.

Wind Breaks:

• Protective plantations against strong winds, typically comprising a few rows of trees or shrubs spaced closely.

Shelter Belts:

• Wide zones of trees, shrubs, and grasses planted in rows perpendicular to prevailing winds to deflect and reduce wind velocity.

Tending:

• Operations for the well-being of forest crops, including weeding, thinning, and cleaning.

Felling:

• Removal of trees, either individually or in small groups scattered throughout the forest.

Afforestation:

• Establishing forests through artificial means in areas with no previous forest vegetation.

Reforestation:

• Re-establishing forests through artificial means in areas previously cleared of forest vegetation.

Age Crop:

• Age of a regular crop corresponding to its diameter.

Age Classification:

• Dividing a forest crop into age classes based on differences in age.

Alpine:

• Vegetation zone characterized by severe winters, slow growth, and low temperatures.
• Found at high altitudes, such as above 10,000 feet in the Himalayas.

Basal Area:

• Area of the cross-section of a stem at breast height, or the sum of basal areas of all stems in a forest.

Bole:

• Main stem of a tree.

Breast Height:

• Standard height for measuring tree girth and diameter, typically 4’6″ in India.

Coupe:

• Felling area, usually part of an annual series, numbered with Roman numerals.

Crown:

• Upper branchy part of a tree above the bole.

Dendrology:

• Study of tree identification and classification.

Reserved Forests:

• Areas constituted under forest laws for conservation and management.

Protected Forests:

• Areas with limited protection under forest laws.

Unclassed Forests:

• Forest land owned by the government but not constituted as reserved, village, or protected forests.

Log:

• Stem or length of stem/branch after felling and trimming.

Logging:

• Operations including felling, limbing, bucking, and transportation of timber products out of the forest.

Pole:

• Young tree from when lower branches begin to fall off until height growth slows and crown expansion occurs.

Raft:

• Assemblage of logs tied together for transport by floating.

Scrub:

• Inferior growth consisting of small or stunted trees and shrubs.

Stand:

• Group of trees or growth with uniform composition, age, or condition, forming a silvicultural unit.

Succession:

• Gradual replacement of one vegetation community by another toward a climax.

Silviculture:

Introduction:

• Pertains to raising, developing, caring for, and reproducing forest crops.

Objectives:

• Environmental benefits, raising economically valuable species, producing high-quality timber, increasing production volume per unit area, afforestation, creating plantations, introducing exotic species, employment generation, increasing fuel and fodder production, and supporting forest industries.

Functions & Types of Forests in India:

Functions:

• Productive, protective, aesthetic, recreational, scientific study, ameliorative, hygienic, and supporting industrial development.

Classification of Forests:

• Moist Tropical Forests, Dry Tropical Forests, Montane Sub-Tropical Forests, Montane Temperate Forests, and Alpine Forests.

Moist Tropical Forests:

• Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Semi-Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, and Littoral and Swamp.

Dry Tropical Forests:

• Tropical Dry Evergreen, Tropical Dry Deciduous, and Tropical Thorn.

Montane Sub-Tropical Forests:

• Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill, Sub-tropical Moist Hill (Pine), and Sub-tropical Dry Evergreen.

Montane Temperate Forests:

• Montane Wet Temperate, Himalayan Moist Temperate, and Himalayan Dry Temperate.

Alpine Forests:

• Sub-Alpine, Moist Alpine Scrub, and Dry Alpine Scrub.

Forestry One-liners

• Biltmore stick: Utilized for measuring tree diameter.
• Spiegel relaskop: Used for measuring tree height and diameter.
• Regeneration block: Also referred to as floating or single.
• NCA (1976): Recommended three types of functional forest classification.
• Stand table: A table displaying the distribution of stem by diameter class.
• Van Mentel’s formula: Useful for regular types of forests.
• Masson’s ratio: Also known as exploitation percent.
• Multiphase sampling: Adopted for bamboo enumeration.
• Indian Forest Act (1927): Amended by many states in 2001.
• “Silviculture Concepts and Applications” author: Ralph D. Nyland.
• MAI of fast-growing species: 10 m3/ha/year.
• Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums: Located in Ranchi.
• Ylang-ylang oil: Extracted from Cananga odorata.
• Hotspots: Coined by Norman Myers.
• Medium-scale photographs: Scale ranges from 1:20,000 to 1:40,000.
• Medicinal and aromatic plants: Contribute significantly to India’s revenue compared to resins, gum, and Bidi leaves.
• JFM concept: Initiated by A.K. Banerjee.
• Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS-1A): Passes over a place every 22 days.
• Permanent pasture and grazing lands: Cover 12.1 million ha in India.
• Father of Modern Agroforestry: Nair.
• 2Gs/r formula: Proposed by Von Mentel for yield regulation.
• Lay farming: Growing grasses in rotation with field crops.
• Growth rings: Formed by activities of cambium.
• Raunkier’s life forms: Categorizes trees under Phanerophytes.
• Parenchyma: A simple mechanical tissue devoid of lignin.
• Tropical dry evergreen forest: A distinct and unique forest type found in Carnatic coast from Tirunelveli to Nellore.
• Nutrient cycling: Lower in northern latitudes compared to tropical regions.
• Sclerophyllus natural vegetation: Found in Mediterranean regions.
• Gugul: Obtained from Boswellia serrata.
• Progressive yield concept: Attributable to Harting.
• Shingles: Also called wood tiles.
• Land race: A population of individuals adapted to a specific environment.
• National Green Tribunal: Established in 2010.
• Class I Lands: Slope ranging from 1-3%.
• Spike disease of Santalum album: Caused by Mycoplasma-like bodies.
• Gulatheria fragrantissima: Yields Wintergreen oil.
• Gloger’s rule: States that mammals and birds of warm regions have darker coloration than those in cold areas.
• Protein banks: Form of Silvopastoral system.
• Increment percent formula: Proposed by Pressler.
• Glulam: Structural material resulting from glued lamination.
• Brandis Method: Suitable for extensive tropical forests and selection fellings.
• Calosoma beesoni: Used for control of Deodar defoliator.
• Kokam butter: Obtained from Garcinia indica.
• Carbon equivalence: One metric tonne equals 3.66 metric tonnes of CO2.
• Average growing stock:79 m3 per hectare in India’s recorded forest area.
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act: Enacted in 2006.
• Micro-hydel Projects: Do not require Environmental Impact Assessment.
• Institute of Wood Science and Technology: Located in Bengaluru.
• Forest Conservation Act: Enacted in 1980.
• Chi-square test: Developed by Karl Pearson.
• Agro-climatic zones: Recognized by the Planning Commission of India (total 15).
• Correlation coefficient: Ranges between -1 to +1.
• Normal distribution curve: Exactly Bell-shaped.
• Gulf of Mannar: Asia’s first marine biosphere reserve.
• Stratification: Method of handling dormant seeds involving chilling.
• Hyblaea puera: A defoliator.
• Anacardiacea family: Characterized by resin canals in the fibrovascular system.
• Cutting section: A sub-division of a felling series for regulating felling.
• State of Forest Report: Published by FSI, Dehradun, once every two years.
• Dancing deer: A deer species endemic to Manipur.
• Largest forest type: Tropical dry deciduous, covers the largest area in India.
• Ixora parviflora: Indicator plant for lime-rich soils in peninsular India.
• Nail driven into a tree trunk: After 3 years, it will remain where it was.
• Cork cambium: Also called phellem.
• Factor-product relationship: Also known as the law of equi-marginal returns.
• Tyloses: Occur in heartwood.
• Incomplete designs: Refer to lattice design.
• Rhea fibre: Obtained from Boehmeria nivea.
• Burrs: Yield figured decorative wood from walnut, siris, and laurel species.
• Meristem culture: Produces disease-free plants.

Define Agroforestry and Forest Farming

Agroforestry is a land management system that integrates trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes for diverse benefits, including improved biodiversity, enhanced productivity, and sustainability. It combines agriculture and forestry practices to create more sustainable land-use systems.

Forest Farming is a type of agroforestry where high-value specialty crops are grown under the protection of a forest canopy that has been modified to provide the appropriate microclimate. It involves the intentional cultivation of crops in the forested environment.

Write about Riparian Forest Buffers

Riparian forest buffers are areas of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation planted along waterways to protect water quality and improve environmental health. These buffers help to filter pollutants, stabilize stream banks, provide habitat for wildlife, and enhance the aesthetic and recreational value of the landscape. They play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of aquatic ecosystems by reducing runoff, preventing erosion, and improving water infiltration.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Agroforestry

Advantages:

• Environmental Benefits: Enhances biodiversity, reduces soil erosion, improves water retention, and sequesters carbon.
• Economic Benefits: Diversifies income sources, reduces risks by providing multiple products (timber, fruits, nuts, etc.), and can improve crop yields through better microclimate regulation.
• Social Benefits: Improves food security, provides raw materials for local industries, and can enhance the resilience of rural communities.

Disadvantages:

• Initial Costs: Higher initial investment for establishing trees and managing the system.
• Complex Management: Requires knowledge and skills in both forestry and agriculture, making management more complex.
• Long-Term Commitment: Trees take time to mature and provide economic returns, requiring a long-term commitment from farmers.

 

Basis of Classification of Different Agroforestry Systems Given by Nair

Nair’s classification of agroforestry systems is based on the following criteria:

• Structure: Spatial and temporal arrangement of components.
• Function: Primary roles and outputs (e.g., food production, soil conservation).
• Socio-economic: Scale of operation, economic viability, and social acceptance.
• Ecological: Compatibility with the local ecosystem and environmental sustainability.
• Species Composition: Types of plant species used (trees, shrubs, crops).
• Management Practices: Methods and intensity of management.
• Geographical Distribution: Agroecological zones and climatic conditions where the systems are practiced.
• In 1985 Nair gives the Agroforestry classification.

Nair used the seven bases of classification in Agroforestry.

Classification of Agroforestry Based on the Nature of the Component

• Agrosilvicultural Systems: Integration of crops and trees (e.g., alley cropping, parkland systems).
• Silvopastoral Systems: Integration of trees and pasture/animals (e.g., live fences, tree-pasture combinations).
• Agrosilvopastoral Systems: Integration of crops, trees, and animals (e.g., home gardens, multistrata systems).

Other Systems:

• Aqua-silvicultural: Integration of trees with aquaculture.
• Apiculture with forestry: Integration of beekeeping with forest trees.

Trees are the essential component of Agroforestry.

• The system of Agroforestry where tree + agricultural crop + horticulture species are grown is called Agrihortisilviculture.

• Define MPTs. Give Two Examples of Tree Species with Scientific Names.

Multipurpose Trees (MPTs) are trees that provide multiple benefits, such as fodder, fuelwood, timber, fruit, and soil improvement. Examples:

1. Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena)
2. Moringa oleifera (Moringa

Classification of Agroforestry System on the Basis of Spatial Arrangement

• Block Planting: Trees are planted in blocks separate from agricultural crops (e.g., woodlots).
• Strip Planting: Trees are planted in strips between agricultural crops (e.g., alley cropping).
• Scattered Planting: Trees are interspersed throughout the agricultural fields (e.g., parkland systems).

Schematic Illustration for the Classification of Agroforestry Based on Temporal Arrangement

• Simultaneous Systems: Trees and crops grow together at the same time (e.g., agroforests).
• Sequential Systems: Trees and crops are grown in sequence over time (e.g., shifting cultivation).
• Taungya System is an Example of Sequential Arrangement in Agroforestry Classification.
• Two Examples of Tree Species Used as Living Fences in Field/Farmland
• Gliricidia sepium (Gliricidia)
• Erythrina variegata (Indian coral tree)
• Two Examples of Tree Species Used in Aquasilviculture
• Rhizophora mucronata (Red mangrove)
• Avicennia marina (Grey mangrove)

What is Quarter Girth Formula

The quarter girth formula is used to estimate the volume of a log or standing tree. The formula is: Volume=(Girth4)2×Length\text{Volume} = \left( \frac{\text{Girth}}{4} \right)^2 \times \text{Length}Volume=(4Girth​)2×Length

What is Volume Table and the Classification of Volume Table

A volume table is a chart used to estimate the volume of wood in standing trees or logs based on measurements such as diameter and height.

Classification of Volume Tables:

• General Volume Tables: Applicable over large areas and for a wide range of tree sizes.
• Local Volume Tables: Specific to a particular area or forest type.
• Form Quotient Volume Tables: Based on the form factor or shape of the tree.
• Commercial Volume Tables: Focused on marketable wood volume, often excluding defective parts.

Methods of Volume Measurement in Standing Tree

• Direct Measurement: Using tools like diameter tape and hypsometers to measure dimensions and calculate volume.
• Model-Based Estimation: Using pre-established volume tables or equations.
• Methods of Volume Measurement in Felled Tree
• Sectional Measurement: Measuring the diameter and length of sections of the tree and summing their volumes.
• Water Displacement (Xylometer): Immersing the log in water to measure the volume displaced.

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