GROWTH RESPONSE AND YIELD OF PLANTATION-GROWN TEAK (<em>TECTONA</em> <em>GRANDIS</em>) AFTER LOW THINNING TREATMENTS AT PAGOH, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Abstract

ZUHAIDI YAHYA A, AMIR SAAIFFUDIN K & HASHIM MN. 2011. Growth response and yield of plantationgrown
teak (Tectona grandis) after low thinning treatments at Pagoh, Peninsular Malaysia. The aim of the
study was to evaluate the effects of thinning intensity on the growth and yield of teak (Tectona grandis). The
thinning was established in a humid tropical teak plantation in southern Peninsular Malaysia. An assessment
on the total periodic diameter (PI_D) increment showed that there were significant differences between
treatments (p ≤ 0.001). The total PI_D increments were 2.7 cm in treatment thinned down to 200 stems
ha^-1 (T2), 2.1 cm in 300 stems ha^-1 (T3), 1.6 cm in 400 stems ha^-1 (T4) and 0.6 cm in unthinned control
(T1). True diameter increments of treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 0.6, 1.9, 1.6 and 1.0 cm respectively
(p ≤ 0.001). The calculated total volume increments (PI_v) were 12.47 m³ ha^-1 in T1, 21.73 m³ ha^-1 in T2,
19.66 m³ ha^-1 in T3 and 14.02 m³ ha^-1 in T4. As expected the PI_v was lowest in the unthinned control
treatment despite having a high number of remaining trees. The results showed that thinning regime down to
200 stems ha^-1 was an appropriate stocking density for stand diameter and volume growth.