Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FUEL WOOD CHARACTERISTICS OF “GLEDITSIA TRIACANTHOS VARIETY INERMIS”

Shah. Asif, K.N. Qaisar and Mushtaq. Ali

Abstract

Honey locust a leguminous tree species with multipurpose benefit is well adoptable under the temperate conditions of Kashmir valley. The fire wood production from forests and trees outside Forests (TOF) of Jammu and Kashmir is felt less than the existing demands of such components for fulfilment of required quantities of supply. The day by day ever increasing demands for fuel wood, fodder, timber and other forest products put our forest resources under tremendous pressure by ever increasing population of the state which directly deplets the forest flora of Jammu and Kashmir state. The continuous phase of depending upon the conventional forest flora for such components has destabilized the ecosystem which can lead the green gold to the brim of extinction. This kind of catastrophic exercise can be arrested by undertaking planting programmes on all possible types of lands of the state outside the natural forests with particular emphasis on fast growing trees. Which if identified and propagated by adapting suitable propagation technique, promise the uninterrupted supply of fuel wood and the other forest products. Therefore the present studying was carried out with a view to mitigate the firewood extraction load over natural forests of state and hence the experiment was chosen to explore the new ways from exotic tree species in order to restore the majestic crop of prime species of forests of J&K. The investigations conducted in the faculty of Forestry, SKUAST–K, Shalimar Srinagar during the year 2009 and 2010. The results were statistically assembled on the mean values of the pool data of the year 2009 and 2010. Fuel wood characteristics of gleditsia triacanthos variety inermis wood were determined with respect to calorific value, wood density, Ash content and moisture content of the samples collected from different sites following standard procedures. The values for these parameters were substituted in the formula to determine the fuel wood value index (FVI). The pooled mean range values of calorific value (Kcal/kg), wood density (g/cc), Ash Content (%), FVI and wood moisture content (%) were registered as, 4890.00 to 4860.00 SEM ± 53.60, 0.75 to 0.74 SEM ± 0.01, 3.40 to 3.33 SEM ± 0.11, 1078.60 to 1079.89 SEM ± 10.24 and 34.19 to 36.58 SEM ± 0.36 respectively. The present investigation revealed that FVI of Gleditsia triacanthos variety inermis is 1068.09. Thus the species has the potential to supplement the fuel wood needs of the local populace given the broad gap between demand and supply of fuel wood in the state. Moreover, the amounting pressure on natural forests can be reduced interms of fuel wood.