Biomass and productivity estimations for community forest management: a case study from the hills of Nepal — I. Biomass and productivity of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii Sargent) plantations

A site quality rating using a height intercept method was calculated for two sites in a 9-year-old Pinus roxburghii plantation in the Middle Hills of Nepal. Above-ground biomass and production rates for 9-year-old chir pine growing on a high- (HQS) and a low-quality site (LQS) were calculated. The total above-ground biomass on the HQS and LQS was 35·15 ± 5·05 t/ha and 7·53 ± 1·70 t/ha respectively. The biomass of the stems, branch-wood wood and foliage on the HQS and LQS was 15·62 ± 1·65; 12·47 ± 2·76; 6·65 ± 1·18 t/ha and 3·57 ± 0·80; 2·62 ± 0·89 and 1·29 ± 0·24 t/ha respectively. The same components from the two sites made up similar proportions. The current annual increment at age 9 years was 6·7 t/ha on the HQS and 2·1 t/ha on the LQS.