Tree species composition and potential timber production of a communal Miombo woodland in Handeni District, Tanzania

Abstract

Three sites were selected near Madebe, one of the villages in Handeni district managing a miombo woodland in Tanzania. Ten square blocks of 4 ha each were established, each block subdivided into 16 square plots of 2.5 ha each. In each block all trees with dbh > 30 cm were identified and measured for dbh. All trees > 10 and < 30 cm dbh were recorded in six randomly selected plots per block. Stem density increased linearly (r2=0.58) from 142 trees ha4 at site A to 223 trees ha4 at site C, with most of the stems (77%) falling within the <30 cm dbh class. Stand basal area averaged 11.0 m2ha4, with 8.52 m2 ha4 in commercial species. Site A had a stand volume of 57.1 m3 ha4 compared with 50.9 m3 ha1 at the other sites. Commercial trees species > 50 cm dbh accounted for 4% of the total stocking, 23% of the basal area and 25% of volume. Sixteen families containing 48 tree species were identified on the 40-ha area studied, with 34% and 25% of the stems in Caesalpiniaceae and Papilionaceae families respectively. Brachystegia boehmii and Julbernardia globiflora were the dominant species, possibly reflecting low harvesting pressure on these species and their relatively high fire resistance. Combretum amiculatum, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon, Brachystegia microphylla and Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia'were also abundant.