TREE SPECIES COMPOSITION AND POTENTIAL TIMBER PRODUCTION OF A COMMUNAL MIOMBO WOODLAND IN HANDENI DISTRICT, TANZANIA

Abstract

Three sites were selected near Madebe, one of the villages in Handeni district  managing a miombo woodland in Tanzania. Ten square blocks of 4 ha each were  established, each block subdivided into 16 square plots for 2.5 ha each. In each  block all trees with dbh > 30 cm were identifiecl and measured  for dbh. All trees ≥ 10 and  ≤ 30 cm dbh were recorded in six randomly selected plots per block. Stem density increased linearly (r²—0.58) from 142 trees ha^-1 at site A to 223 trees ha^-1 at site C, with most of the stems (77%) falling within the ≤ 30 cm dbh class. Stand basal area averaged 11.0 m² ha^-1, with 8.52 m² ha^-1 in commercial species. Site A had a stand volume of .57.1 m³ ha^-1 compared with 50.9 m³ ha^-1 at the other sites.  Commercial  trees species  ≥ 50 cm dbh accounted for 4% of the total stocking, 23% of the basal area and 25% of volume. Sixteen families containing 48 tree species were identified on the 40-ha area studied, with 34% and 25% of the stems in Caesalpiniaceae and Papilionace ae families respectively. Brachystegia boehmii and Julbernardia globiflora were the dominant species, possibly reflecting low harvesting pressure on these species and their relatively high fire resistance. Combretum amiculatum , Diplorhynchus condylocarpon, Brachyslegia, microphylla and Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia were also abundant.