Water Use, Growth and Socio-Economic Value of the Biomass of Indigenous Trees

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Water Use, Growth and Socio-Economic Value of the Biomass of Indigenous Trees Water use, growth and socio-economic value of the biomass of indigenous trees Mark Gush Willem de Lange - CSIR Peter Dye – WITS Tatenda Mapeto - NMMU Coert Geldenhuys - ForestWood 1 Background 2 Indigenous tree products 3 Photos: Vanessa Masterson, John Soderlund Background and Rationale • Demand for timber & non-timber forest products in SA is rising • Expansion of commercial forestry operations is restricted due to streamflow reduction impacts of introduced plantation tree species & available land • Little is known about the water-use and growth of South Africa’s 1000+ indigenous tree species • Water use efficiencies, and the net benefit of water used are important for sustainable land-use planning from ecohydrological and socio-economic perspectives • The numerous benefits of indigenous trees and forests, in terms of the goods and services that they offer, are widely recognised. • Need to quantify the economic value of their products • Develop recommendations for further establishment & sustainable use of indigenous tree resources 4 © CSIR 2014 Slide 4 Project Details Aim • To measure and model the water use and growth of indigenous trees in different tree systems, and to quantify the economic benefits and costs of the biomass production under a range of bio-climatic conditions in South Africa. • 6-year solicited WRC project (K5/1876) Approach • Sites and species selection • Data collection: Weather; Sap flow; ET; Soil Moisture; Growth • Modelling • Case study collection of economic data – field surveys • Data analysis • Comparison against introduced species / plantations 5 Site and Species Selection 6 Site and Species Selection Indigenous Forests: Southern Cape Afro-temperate Forest (George) Southern Mistbelt Forest (Ingeli) Scarp Forest (Manubi) Indigenous Trees: Ptaeroxylon obliquum (Sneezewood) Millettia grandis (Umzimbeet) Ocotea bullata (Black Stinkwood) Prunus africana (Red Stinkwood) Celtis africana (White Stinkwood) Vachellia (Acacia) kosiensis (Dune Sweet Thorn) Afrocarpus falcatus (Outeniqua Yellowwood) Podocarpus henkelii (Henkel’s Yellowwood) Ilex mitis (Cape Holly) Olea europaea subs. africana (Wild Olive) Rapanea melanophloeos (Cape Beech) Trema orientalis (Pigeonwood) 7 Berchemia zeyheri (Red Ivory) Tree Transpiration and Growth Sapwood Heartwood 8 Indigenous Forest Evapotranspiration Rn G H LE 0 LE(ET ) Rn G H 9 Resource Use Surveys Surveys (Nov 2012 & July 2013) – 120 responses • Focus on P. obliquum, M. grandis and A. karroo 10 11 Results: Water Use (Transpiration) Use Water Results: ( ▌ ) et et al., introduced for Data tree 3343 - 1 2001; Gush and2009 ) Dye, ± year 2102 - 1 L plantation trees trees plantation tree 10300 25000 - 1 year ± 2890 L 20000 - 1 ( Olbrich 15000 L 7994 tree et al., 1996; Dye et al., 1996; Dye ± - 10000 1 year 5995 - 1 Transpiration (L. treeˉ¹. yearˉ¹) treeˉ¹. (L. Transpiration 5000 L 7488 tree ± - 1 0 year 4473 I. I. mitis - 1 P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula O. bullata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata B.zeyheri E.grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis P. henkelii P. henkelii P. henkelii M. grandis M. grandis M. grandis A. falcatus A. falcatus P. africana P. latifolius C. africana C. africana T. orientalis P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis C. equisetifolia Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone R. melanophloeos R. melanophloeos Species O. europaea (subs.… 12 Results: Stem Growth Increment GrowthStem Results: ( ▌ ) tree 6090 et et al., introduced for Data - 1 ± year 2001; Gush and2009 ) Dye, 4762 g - 1 plantation trees trees plantation tree 20345 70000 - 1 year ± 60000 6118 g 6118 - 1 50000 ( Olbrich tree 20874 40000 - 1 et al., 1996; Dye et al., 1996; Dye year 30000 ± 14361 g - 1 20000 tree 14877 Stem Increment (g. treeˉ¹. yearˉ¹) treeˉ¹. (g. Increment Stem 10000 - 1 year ± 0 7357 g 7357 - 1 I. mitis P.patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P.radiata O. bullata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata B. zeyheri E.grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis P. henkelii P. henkelii P. henkelii M. grandis M. grandis M. grandis A. falcatus A. falcatus P. africana C. africana P. latifolius C. africana T. orientalis P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis C. equisetifolia Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone R. melanophloeos R. melanophloeos Species O. europaea (subs.… 13 Results: Water Use Efficiency Use Water Results: Also referred to as Water Productivity to as Water Also referred ( WUE = kg wood) (stem 1.95 - 1 (water) ± g stem woodg stem 0.9 g kg wood) (stem 2.01 6 - 1 produced / (water) ± 5 0.5 g 4 L watertranspired L kg wood) (stem 2.91 - 1 3 (water) ± 0.99 2 g 1 kg wood) (stem 2.2 - ) 1 ± (water) Water Use Efficiency (g Wood / L water) L / Wood (g Efficiency Use Water 0 0.64 I. mitis P.patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P. patula P.radiata O. bullata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata P. radiata g B. zeyheri E.grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis E. grandis P. henkelii P. henkelii P. henkelii M. grandis M. grandis M. grandis A. falcatus A. falcatus P. africana C. africana P. latifolius C. africana T. orientalis P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum P. obliquum V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis V. kosiensis C. equisetifolia Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone Eucalyptus clone R. melanophloeos R. melanophloeos Species O. europaea (subs.… Results: Resource Use (informal) • Uses: walking sticks, construction poles, medicinal / cultural, firewood • Reasons for use: Poles & shelters – strong & durable; sticks – beautiful dark wood desired by customers; firewood – coals last • Sticks & poles traded; ceremonial uses not traded • Acquisition of poles incurred labour costs • Customers are local community members , tourists, craftsmen • Prices (Acacia): head loads R10-R20/bundle; bakkie loads R450/tonne • Prices (Sneezewood & Umzimbeet): Sticks = R100, poles = R33 • Total annual economic value of three priority species (Sneezewood, Umzimbeet, Acacia) for 120 informal traders - R939 432/yr 14 Results: Resource Use (formal) • Uses: Furniture, carving, beams, instruments, flooring, veneers • Reasons for use: Unique, attractive grain, strong & durable; sentimental • Trade: Auctions (under review); furniture & craft shops; turning blanks • Costs: Plantation establishment and maintenance (Yellowwood); transportation; specialist sawmill equipment & expertise • Customers are local buyers, tourists, overseas traders in rare wood • Challenges: Sourcing & availability, reliability of supply, quality variation • Formal market value (R11000 /m³- R45000/m³), but supply limited • Financial analysis of Yellowwood plantation (45-yr rotation) is profitable (with assumptions), but very long-term 15 Conclusions Indigenous trees generally use less water than similarly sized “exotic” introduced tree species Correspondingly slow growth = similar WUE (bio-physical perspective) Significant site and species-specific variation Genetic improvement of indigenous trees (Provenance trials?) but trade-off between growth rates & water-use Informal indigenous tree product industry is heterogeneous & amorphous; yet economically significant at a local scale. 16 (1) Implications (2) Low water use and growth rates require use of marginal land or high product value to be viable Potential for high economic WUE, but commercial viability requires new / expanded markets & long-term perspective (3) Tree form and wood quality require further research Hydrological benefits of indig. trees in riparian zones, reforestation, urban greening and rural woodlots (1 & 2) Consider the role of fire in the landscape (3) (4) Ecological infrastructure, biodiversity and aesthetics (4) 17 Applications Continue applying water-saving management practices in commercial forestry Reduce non-beneficial water use Consider expansion with low water using indigenous tree species Objective is sustainable commercial forestry from eco-hydrological and socio-economic perspectives 18 Thank you! •Funding - Water Research Commission & Dept. Env. Affairs (NRM) •SANParks (Garden Route National park), Ms. Theresia Ott (Richards Bay Minerals / Rio Tinto), Mondi Forests (Doug Burden), Manubi State Forest, iNgeli State Forest, and the UKZN Arboretum. •Vivek Naiken, Siyasanga Daka, Barry James, Brian Mahumani, Tembelani Nokwali for assistance in the field. FORESTWOOD cc 19 Mark Gush ([email protected]).
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