Firewood properties of some Indian mountain tree and shrub species

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of 26 indigenous mountain fuelwood species of North-Eastern Himalayan region was carried out to identify trees with potential for fuelwood production. A fuelwood value index (FVI) was defined as calorific value x density/ash content. Betula nitida, Machilus bombycina, Itea macrophylla, Cryptomeria japonica, Gmelina arborea, Simingtonia populnea, Macaranga denticulata and Schima wallichii were shown to have promising firewood production.

Introduction

In the third-world countries, the majority of the population lives in rural areas where fuelwood, charcoal, crop residues and animal wastes provide most of the energy requirements. In Indian mountain villages firewood is the only main source of energy, supplying almost all of the cooking energy requirements.

In North-Eastern Himalayan (NEH) region, the tribal dependence on forests for fuelwood, as a primary source of energy, coupled with shifting cultivation is causing serious deforestation [1]. Commercial fuel is beyond the reach of the tribal communities due to their poor socio-economic conditions. Due to an ever-increasing population, fuelwood consumption is increasing rapidly. The average fuelwood consumption is significantly high ($\text{5.23}\text{kg}\text{/}\text{day}\text{/}\text{capita}$) for NEH region [2] as compared to other parts of India [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]. This level of firewood consumption has resulted in over-exploitation of natural resources; consequently, the region is experiencing scarcity of fuelwood. To overcome the problems, various governmental as well as non-governmental agencies are engaged in developing energy plantations in the region, but there is little scientific expertise of fuelwood farming, indicating that screening of various tree species indigenous to the hills is necessary to aid development.