Ecological Economics 33 2000 487 – 495
ANALYSIS
Comparative ecological-economic analysis of growth performance of exotic Eucalyptus tereticornis and indigenous
Dalbergia sissoo in mono-culture plantations
R.K. Jalota , K.K. Sangha
Department of Botany, Panjab Uni6ersity, Chandigarh
160014
, India Received 7 May 1999; received in revised form 23 December 1999; accepted 4 January 2000
Abstract
This paper describes the comparative growth performance of and monetary returns for Eucalyptus tereticornis and Dalbergia sissoo plantations in northern India. The growth is analysed in terms of annual and relative growth rates
of bole, crown and marketable heights and volumes, and diameter at breast height. The measurements were taken at 6 – 8 and 19 – 21 years of age. The economic gains are considered for five components, i.e. timber, fuel-wood, fodder,
oil and ash. The old plantations of D. sissoo are found to be more sustainable in terms of growth performance and net monetary return. The total monetary gains estimated are Rs. 13.4 million per hectare in the case of D. sissoo, but
only Rs. 7.4 million per hectare for E. tereticornis, even after including the value of all rotational crops possible within the 21-year life span. This integrated analysis challenges the long claimed forest policy that fast growing trees perform
better than indigenous trees. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords
:
Eucalyptus tereticornis; Dalbergia sissoo; Mono-culture plantations; Ecological-economic analysis www.elsevier.comlocateecolecon
1. Introduction
In India, when it was realised that there was an increasing demand for wood, and forests re-
sources had been over-used, fast growing exotic tree plantations as wood crops were considered as
the best alternative by various governmental and non-governmental agencies. Among the various
exotic tree species grown in India Leucaena leu- cocephalla, Populus deltoides, Eucalyptus species,
Prosopis juliflora, Eucalyptus tereticornis was largely promoted throughout the country in
1970 – 1980. Quick monetary returns due to short life span, greater number of trees per unit area
and less post-plantation care were considered the
Corresponding author. Present address: Plant Sciences Group, Primary Industries Research Centre, School of Biolog-
ical and Enviromental Sciences, Central Queensland, Univer- sity Rockhampton 4702, Qld, Australia.
E-mail addresses
:
r –jalotayahoo.com R.K. Jalota, sangha –7yahoo.com K.K. Sangha
0921-800900 - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 1 - 8 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 - 6
main reasons for the shift from indigenous to exotic trees.
Later on ecologists and policy makers were divided as to tree performance and the ecological
effects of E. tereticornis. Shiva and Bnadyopad- hyay 1987 discussed its negative impact on water
resources, soil, air and human skin. In promoting wide-scale cultivation of E. tereticornis only its
wood productivity has been emphasised, while other non-wood products and ecological effects
have generally been ignored. This has led to inap- propriate assessment of the potential of exotic
versus indigenous trees. Indigenous species such as Dalbergia sissoo, although having a long gesta-
tion period, fetch a better price for their wood, in addition to various intangible products such as
fodder and ash which are commonly used by locals.
The claimed fast growth rate and projected returns of E. tereticornis over indigenous trees
such as D. sissoo have led us to investigate the ecological and economic potential of both tree
species at 6 – 8 years and 19 – 21 years, correspond- ing to the maturation age of the respective trees.
2. Methodology
