Determination of the Technical Rotation of Acacia nilotica Plantations for Production of Saw Logs and Associated Millable Wood Percentages

Abstract

The objectives of this research were (i) to estimate the
technical rotation of Acacia nilotica stands grown along the Blue Nile,
Sudan, for the producion of saw logs that yield railway sleepers, and (ii)
to estimate millable wood percentages at different crop ages for stands of
site indices SI 25 and SI 28. The results revealed that mid-log diameters
(over bark) of 36-47, 48-55, 56-64 and 65-68 cm were required to
produce single-, double-, triple- and tetra-sleeper logs, respectively. The
best stands to produce saw logs for sleeper production were those of SI
28 and SI 25, stands of SI 22 were marginal and those of SI 19 and SI 16
were not suitable. The ranges of technical rotation were estimated as 25-
36 years for stands of SI 22 to produce single-sleeper logs, 29-36 years
for stands of SI 25 and SI 28 to produce double and triple sleeper-logs,
respectively. The results have important empirical implications in
manegerial decision making of A. nilotica plantations. Two curves of
percentages of millable wood for total sawlogs and for sleeper logs alone
were constructed for stands of SI 28 and SI 25.