Ensuring sustainable harvesting of wood: impact of biomass harvesting on the nutrient stores of teak woodlot stand in the Sudan savanna

he N, P, K, Ca and Mg stores in Tectona grandis (Teak) ecosystem were estimated. These were used to determine the impacts of three harvesting methods (thinning, coppice-with-standard, and clear felling) combined with three levels of wood utilization (i.e. stemwood only, bole only and bole together with branches) on sustained future productivity within Teak plantation stand. Clear felling combined with any level of wood utilization exerted the greatest impact of loss on the nutrient stores. Thus sustainable production of Teak will be greatly impaired if such harvesting option is solely adopted. On the other hand, thinning above half of the stand density, coupled with stemwood utilization only will increase the nutrient drain four folds, as compared to thinning below half of the stand density and combined with total shoot utilization from the reserves. Furthermore, the rates of depletion were not specific but differed from individual nutrients. Potassium drained from the ecosystem was most rapid, followed by P, N, Mg and Ca. Thus, K and P are likely to severely limit the future productivity of the Teak stand if harvesting options like clear felling or coppice with-standard were to be adopted. The combination of harvesting options and utilization to forecast the potential sustained productivity of Teak plantation stand are discussed.