Development of Gmelina arborea under the Subri conversion technique: first three years

Subri conversion technique is a new site preparation technique in West Africa in which the degraded natural forests are cleared, and lines are cut through the debris and planted up without any burning. Under this condition the humus layer and the 'extra debris on the forest floor is conserved. Evaluation of linear growth and biomass production in the first three years of growth of Gmelina raised under this technique is reported. Survival varied from 75 to 83 percent, mean height from 12 to 15m, mean

diameter from 12 to 14cm and volume from 73 to 170m³/ha. Biomass production varied from 40-56mt/ha with the stem as the dominant component. The potential crop trees grew much faster, with Mean Annual Increment (MAl) in height of 6.4 to 5.70m and in diameter of 7.3 to 6.3cm in the 2nd and 3^rd years respectively