The dendrochronological potential of various tropical tree species was determined and then cumulative growth trajectories for diameter and above ground biomass were created for species of sufficient sample size (n > 2). The species with the highest dendrochronological potential included Cupressus lusitanica, the Eucalyptus spp. and Mangifera indica. The three fastest growing species in the study, based on annual diameter increment, were Eucalytus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, and Acacia mearnsii . In terms of annual biomass production, the three species that grew most rapidly were Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Mangifera indica, and Acacia mearnsii. Growth-climate relationships were examined for Acacia mearnsii, Cupressus lusitanica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalytus saligna, Mangifera indica, and Markhamia lutea. Standardized basal area increments were run through a correlation analysis with climate data obtained from nearby meteorological stations to determine if any growth responses to environmental factors existed. Both positive and negative correlations between growth and climate parameters (precipitation, temperature, climate moisture index) were found for many of study species. However, correlations among species did not present a clear pattern. A majority of the precipitation correlations were positive and the temperature correlations were negative.
Read
