Abstract:
The above-ground biomass of two components for 6 species of Eucalyptus, E. bakeri, E. smithii, E. radiata SSp. radiata, E. dives, E. macar-thurii and E. globulus ssp. globulus, was estimated two years after planting using samples taken from an experimental plantation which was designed as split-plots in 3 replicates in southwestern China. The plantation was established in three different spacings,0.5m×2m,1.0m×2m and 1.5m×2m. It was found from the preliminary results that there were significant differences in both growth rates and above-ground biomass between species. All species, except E. bakeri, gave the highest biomass production of both wood and leaves in fresh weight at the second spacing, 1.0m×2m. At this spacing E. smithii was ranked on the top reaching 4.5m in height and 5.2 cm in diameter and followed by E. globulus ssp. globulus in height of 4.1 m and ground-level diameter of 4.9cm, while E. bakeri was the last. Essential oil content of leaves was also analysed in the laboratory for each species. It was shown that all the six eucalypts could be managed in short rotation forestry for wood energy production which would bring about very good income to farmers in rural communities. E. smithii, which was for the first time grown in China, could become a better species than E. globulus ssp. globulus for oil and fuelwood production even the latter had become a land race in southwestern China.