Growth of big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) in natural forests in Belize
Citation
Shono, K., Snook, L.K. 2004. Growth of big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) in natural forests in Belize . Tropical Resources 23 :23-30.
Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/19203
External link to download this item: https://www.cifor.org/knowledge/publication/1770
Abstract/Description
Four years of annual diameter measurements of 75 big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) trees in natural forests in northwestern Belize were analyzed to determine growth rates. Mean diameter increment among the sample trees exceeded 1 cm y-1, with slightly higher growth rates among trees > 50 cm dbh. Inter-individual variation in growth rates was significant, with the fastest-growing individuals growing at rates greater than 2 cm y-1. Inter-annual variation in growth rates was also significant, and diameter growth of 1.21 ±± 0.1 cm during a wetter year (1456 mm ppt) exceeded by 75% diameter growth of 0.69 ±± 0.1 cm during a drier year (1181 mm ppt). The growth of these sample trees reveals that mahogany trees as small as 23 cm dbh that are left standing after harvests can be expected to attain the commercial diameter of 60 cm during the 40 years between cutting cycles.
CGIAR Author ORCID iDs
Laura Snookhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9168-1301
AGROVOC Keywords
Subjects
BIODIVERSITY;Countries
BelizeCollections
- CIFOR publications [7805]