GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF <em>EUCALYPTUS</em> <em>GLOBULUS</em> AS INFLUENCED BY STAND AND SITE FACTORS IN CHELELEKA CATCHMENT, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was conducted on a 4-y-old fuelwood plantation of Eucalyptus globulus in Cheleleka Catchment, central Ethiopia. Using the General Linear Model (GLM), significant effects of stand density (number of survivors/plot) and altitude on mean tree height and mean diameter were found. As stand density increased, mean tree height and diameter increased. In this study, none of the site factors significandy influenced the number of survivors per plot. The best growth in the catchment was at altitude 2950 m a.s.l. In this topographic position, mean tree height and mean diameter at breast height were greater than those in the valley floor (2850 m a.s.l.) and in the upper parts of the catchment (3050 and 3150 m a.s.l.). Further studies on the influence of site factors on catchment microclimate in relation to tree growth are recommended.