Costing and Estimation ofWorks - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 164

7.2 Model Treatment Plans

Preparation of treatment plan is the most important step in planning and execution
of afforestation programmes. Correct technical decisions must all be made at this
stage, and incorporated into this document. Ideally, every treatment plan should be a
site-specific document, since each site demands a unique treatment. Even then, it is
possible to categorise the general types of sites that may be encountered in an area
and devise a model treatment plan for each such type. Examples of seven treatment
models have been presented in this chapter, including detailed cost estimates for one
model. It is assumed that a plantation gets fully established in a period of 5 years,
although this is by no means a prescriptive standard, since in different edaphoclimatic
and socioeconomic conditions, as well as depending upon the species used, the
time for establishment of a plantation may extend up to 10 years. The model cost
estimates are based on the BSR presented in Table 7.1 . These models can be used for
formulation of a project, thus saving time and calculation work. Each model has been
worked out with a median density of planting (number of plants per hectare), and a
summary is then provided in a table indicating costs at different planting densities.

7.2.1 Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests (RDF)

This plantation model should be considered in areas where adequate rootstock of
natural forest exists. The area may be degraded (e.g. the trees may have been felled,
hacked, destroyed, or made scandent due to overgrazing or form of biotic pressure)
but the roots of trees are still intact, and given favourable circumstances the rootstock
would regenerate. Number of stumps per hectare may be varying from 200 to 500.
Keeping this in view, the treatment model provides for protection against grazing and
other biotic pressure, soil and water conservation works, planting of nursery-raised
seedlings, and sowing of seeds of suitable species to establish contour vegetative
hedges. The ecological conditions could be regained in such plantations in a period
of 8-10 years, and it is considered necessary to provide for intensive management
for at least 5 years, including the preparatory year.
Table 7.4 shows a treatment plan for an area of 50 ha of degraded forest. The
model is named RDF-400 because the proposed density of planting of seedlings is
400 plants per hectare. The estimated quantities of items of work have been shown
in the treatment plan herein, and the detailed specifications and estimated year-wise
cost of execution has been worked out in Table 7.5 . Table 7.6 summarises the spread
of costs over a 5-year period. Table 7.7 shows the costs at different densities of
planting, all other factors remaining the same. All costs have been worked out in
terms of man-day equivalent (mdeq).