Pruning as a successful treatment to improve growth of Acacia mangium Willd. plantation in the reclamation of gold mine spoils of Guyana

Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2020     |     PP. 1-14      |     PDF (428 K)    |     Pub. Date: September 24, 2020
DOI:    175 Downloads     6171 Views  

Author(s)

Susy Lewis, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, PO Box 101110, Guyana.
Lawrence Lewis, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, PO Box 101110, Guyana.
Elroy Charles, Guyana Forestry Commission, 1 Water Street Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana.
Robert Skeete, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, PO Box 101110, Guyana.

Abstract
Deforestation and land degradation due to mining activities are much studied environmental concerns globally. As such, policy-makers are setting ambitious goals to restore hundreds of millions of hectares of deforested and degraded lands. Therefore, it is important to understand the growth response of species used in the reclamation of deforested and degraded areas or areas proposed for restoration. In this study on the pruning of Acacia mangium Willd. planted on gold mine spoils in Guyana was assessed to determine stem growth responses to various pruning treatments. Trees were pruned at 0.5 m, 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m for three-year old Acacia plantation.Pruning treatment was done to increase growth rates and to improve bole quality of trees so they will have valuable timber when they mature. A Linear Mixed Effects model was used to quantify the treatment effects for the one year after pruning. The results indicated that after one year the growth rates average 5.92 cm yr-1. Application of pruning lead to 0.36cm gain in diameter increments compared to unpruned trees. Pruning at 1.5 m height has the greatest effect on diameter increments.The effect of pruning significantly improved the aesthetics of the plantation and tree bole diameter of the Acacia trees and underscores the importance of pruning as an effective post-planting treatment in reforestation activities of three-year old Acacia plantation in Guyana.

Keywords
Reclamation, Pruning, Acacia mangium, Pruning heights, mining

Cite this paper
Susy Lewis, Lawrence Lewis, Elroy Charles, Robert Skeete, Pruning as a successful treatment to improve growth of Acacia mangium Willd. plantation in the reclamation of gold mine spoils of Guyana , SCIREA Journal of Geosciences. Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2020 | PP. 1-14.

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