Biomass, Productivity and Carbon Sequestration of Tectona grandis and Gmelina arborea-Based Silvipastoral System

This study was conducted in 2009 at Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India with Tectona grandis (teak), Gmelina arborea (gamhar) and forage crops such as Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense) and Hybrid Napier grass (Pennisetum glaucum × Pennisetum purpureum) which were grown under silvipastoral system. Total biomass and total productivity potential of silvipastoral system were found highest with the combination of Tectona grandis and Hybrid Napier, i.e. 29.14 tonne ha^–1 and 21.0 tonne ha^–1 year^–1 respectively, while minimum total biomass was found in sole Sudan grass (2.42 tonne ha^–1) and maximum total productivity in T. grandis (2.09 tonne ha^–1 year^–1 ). The total carbon sequestration potential under silvipastoral system was maximum in T1: teak and Hybrid Napier grass (88.64 tonne ha^–1) followed by T₃: gamhar + Hybrid Napier (84.72 tonne ha^–1), T₂: teak + Sudan grass (77.68 tonne ha^–1), and T₄: gamhar + Sudan grass (77.42 tonne ha^–1), while the minimum was found in T₁₂: (33.38 tonne ha^–1). Annual contribution of total litter production was 505.16 g m^-2. Leaf litter in the species accounted for 95.40% and wood (branches and twigs) contributed 4.49% to total litter. The highest litterfall of 156.30 g m^-2 was recorded in February followed by 151.72 g m^-2 in January, while the least litterfall of 4.83 g m^-2 was recorded in August.