- Title
- Growth patterns of Pterocarpus angolensis in savannas of the South African lowveld
- Creator
- Shackleton, Charlie M
- Subject
- To be catalogued
- Date
- 2002
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182373
- Identifier
- vital:43824
- Identifier
- xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(01)00676-4"
- Description
- Pterocarpus angolensis D.C. is one of the most valuable indigenous timber species on the African continent south of the equator. Because of its high value, it is actively sought after in a number of countries, and wild populations are diminishing. However, attempts at artificial germination and growth trials have yielded poor results, thus, emphasis needs to be placed on sustainable management of existing populations. Success of in situ management will be enhanced if based on reliable data and knowledge regarding the growth patterns of this species within specific localities and countries. Such comprehensive data are lacking for several countries, including South Africa. This paper presents empirical data on a number of studies investigating the growth patterns of P. angolensis in the central lowveld savannas of South Africa, including phenology, annual diameter increment, size class structure, size of reproductive maturity, and morphometric relationships. The size class profile indicated that there was adequate recruitment of P. angolensis, but with constricted through growth from the suffrutex stage to the sapling stage. A small proportion of individuals attained reproductive maturity at 8 cm diameter, but most were bigger. All stems were reproductively mature by 26 cm diameter. This is below the minimum size for harvesting which is dictated by the need for a well developed heartwood. Annual growth was strongly related to stem size and rainfall during the growing season. Basal area increment of small stems was approximately four times greater than mature stems, and declined with increasing stem size. Over the 6-year-period and across all stem sizes, mean diameter increment was 4.5 mm per year. This rate is towards the lower end of the range of reported growth rates from other countries, and poses particular challenges for the sustainable management of this species in South African savannas.
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (13 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Forest Ecology and Management, Shackleton, C.M., 2002. Growth patterns of Pterocarpus angolensis in savannas of the South African lowveld. Forest ecology and management, 166(1-3), pp.85-97, Forest Ecology and Management volume 166 number 1-3 p. 85 2002 0378-1127
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Elsevier Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.elsevier.com/legal/elsevier-website-terms-and-conditions)
- Rights
- Closed Access
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Collections
Shackleton, Charles Michael (Distinguished Prof)
RU Department of Environmental Science
SDG 15. Life On Land
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