Ensuring Sustainability - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 243

Lopping and pollarding should be provided for in the utilisation plan depending
upon the species, its growth rate, and productivity of the site. Productivity in arid
climates is characteristically low, and care should be taken to avoid excessive lopping.
All lopping should be carried out with a sharp-edged implement, and the produce
should be collected carefully so as to avoid damaging any parts of the trees. Time
for lopping depends upon the seasonal pattern of growth; it can also be worked out
in harmony with local practice and requirement of fodder. Sometimes, it is possible
to stagger the timings of lopping for trees of different species to obtain uniform flow
of produce during different seasons of the year as well as during different years over
the lifespan of a plantation.
Stripping leaf fodder from the trees is another practice seen among some people
in extreme arid areas. Here a person climbs on top of a tree and strips leaf fodder
off the twigs and branches. This gives clean leaf fodder, avoids wastage of fodder,
and encourages greater and faster regrowth of leaves. Since no branches are cut, the
woody portion does not have to be regenerated; therefore, nutrients from soil are
more efficiently utilised during the regrowth period. In drier parts where leaf fodder
is scarce, the moisture and productivity of plants is low and where the branches and
twigs are not utilised for fuelwood or fencing, this practice is certainly superior to
that of lopping. After a couple of seasons the tree is seen to become thornless, but
leather gloves have to be worn by the workers in the beginning.
Harvesting of poles while leaving out standards may be efficient in case of certain
species. The poles are removed after they have achieved the required girth. Care must
be taken to cut poles close to the ground for better coppice regrowth. The season for
removal of poles is just before the growth season of the species. If the area is open
to grazing, it is better to remove only those poles that already have a large coppice
shoot, because new shoots, even if they do emerge, could be destroyed by animals.
Tree harvesting is the final stage of utilisation of a plantation. After reaching the
rotation age, mature trees are felled—taking care not to damage other plants nearby—
and removed. If no coppice growth is expected, the stump with the roots can also be
removed and utilised. The soil dug up during the stump-removal operation is refilled,
levelled and rolled over so that a fresh plantation may be raised on it. Harvesting of
trees by selection is best practised where the area is not exposed to heavy pressure of
grazing and trees can be replanted as and when removed. However, in case of grazing
areas the area must be fenced before replanting it, and therefore it is necessary to
clear-fell the entire area at a time, close it to grazing and then replant, thus completing
one cycle of the plantation.
Productivity of a plantation will depend upon many factors (Fig. 10.3 ) such as the
climate, the soil, and the species. However, using empirical data, coupled with an
experienced guess, one can fairly accurately predict the estimated amount of biomass
in form of grass, fodder, lopping material, poles, and final timer or small-wood.
Using actual productivity figures of a particular year can form a firm and reliable
basis of forecasting the yield from the same site except for the uncertainty on account
of rainfall. Grass production, for example, can be absolutely variable—depending
upon rainfall alone.