Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Regeneration Ecology of Heglig (Balanites aegyptiaca (Del.)) in the Dry region West of the Blue Nile, Sudan
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Ahmed, Mohamed Ahmed |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Balanites aegyptiaca is a multipurpose tree species of wide range of uses in terms of economic, social, and environmental aspects, but it was neglected and not given attention by the forestry authority. Concerning its existence and distribution. The objective of the study was to assess the natural regeneration of Balanites aegyptiaca in the dry region west of the Blue Nile. Ten villages were randomly selected and 20 villagers in each village were interviewed on their perception on the management and utilization of B. aegyptiaca. Natural regeneration was monitored in the field at different sites in the area between Sinnar and Damazin towns immediately after the rainy season in the year 2010. Those sites were abandoned agricultural farms, natural forests, vicinity of villages, valleys (seasonal water courses) and karab (eroded site). Random samples of 50 m in diameter each were laid on the northern, middle and southern locations of the various sites. In the sample the height and diameter at ground level were recorded for each plant of B. aegyptiaca. A field experiment was carried in Nawara natural forest on the dormancy of the fruit in the soil. Fresh fruits were divided into two lots; in one the fruits buried in the soil as they were and in the second the pericarp and mesocarp were removed. Burying was done during the rainy season of the year 2010 at 0-cm and 5-cm depth and each plot surrounded by metallic ring of 25 cm in diameter. Germinated, perished, and persistent fruits were calculated at the end of the rainy season. To study the effect of soil type on the regeneration, the fruits were sown in the nursery in black plastic container filled with clay soil or clay loam (eroded soil) brought from the natural domain of the species. Two forms of fruits; with and without pericarp and mesocarp were sown in the containers at August of the year 2011 and watered every two days. An experiment on effect of salinity on germination was performed used both NaCl and CaCl salts to fix different levels of salinity in the clay soil. The initial EC of the clay soil used in the experiment was 0.8 dSm -1 and represented the control, and then five levels of salinity measured at 4 dSm -1 , 6 dSm -1 , 8 dSm 1 , 10 dSm -1 and 12 dSm -1 were fixed. The salts were added separately to the quantity of distilled water and magnetically shacked till all granules were completely dissolved. Then, viable fruits after removing of pericarp and mesocarp were sown in August of the year 2012 in Petri dishes of 15 cm in diameter and filled with one kg of clay soil had field capacity to 420 ml/kg. The weight of each Petri dish was measured and recorded. The salt solutions were applied once. Irrigation was applied every 48 hrs using tap water for five weeks. The amount of water applied to each dish was calculated as an equivalent of the difference in weight of the filled dish at application of irrigation water (Wet weight) and before application (Dry weight). The analysis of the questionnaire showed that the local community perceived the need of management and conservation programs to secure the natural regeneration on all sites despite the activities to collect fruits for food, lopping the branches for fodder and sometime felling the trees for wood and they were ready to participate in the programe. The results of the monitoring of the natural regeneration revealed that B. aegyptiaca trees thrived on all sites but newly recruited natural regeneration was lacked in the vicinity of the villages and valley meander. The fruits germinated readily when placed on the soil surface (91%) or buried to 5-cm depth (90%) whether pericarp and mesocarp removed or left intact, and completely failed in eroded soil while succeeded in clay (91%). Salinity significantly decreased the germination from above 80% at EC of 0.8 dSm -1 (control) to less than 40% when increased to12 dSm -1 . The study recommended that concern and attention should be given to conservation of B.aegyptiaca through its improving management and extension programs and reserving the lands where its natural stands occur and integrating it into agroforestry programs. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://repo.uofg.edu.sd/bitstream/handle/123456789/2304/Mohamed%20Ahmed%20Abaker%20Ahmed.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
