Trials of Species for Timber Planting in the Savanna Woodland Zone of North Uganda (O.D.C. 232.11)

Summary

Almost half the total area of gazetted forest in Uganda consists of savanna woodland. This paper describes some of the trials that are being done in Northern Uganda to replace uneconomic Term-minalia/Combretum woodland with timber species, mainly exotics. Early underplanting using Chlorophora excelsa and Khaya grandifoliola has proved a failure. Underplanting and planting in clear felled areas with Maesopsis eminii has proved more successful, but after nine years there appears to be a slackening in the rate of growth. Extensive trials of other species, mainly softwoods and eucalypts, were begun in 1957. The most successful of these to date is Pinus caribaea., others that look promising are Callitris endlichen, C. preissii, Cupressus arizonica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Zanzibar variety), E. citriodora, E. grandis, E. tereticornis, Maesopsis eminii, Pinus khasya, P. leiophylla, P. massoniana, P. patula, P. radiata and Tectona grandis. Consequently further and more extensive trials of the best species were started in 1961 and will continue for five years, by which time it is hoped that the answer to planting this type of savanna will have been found.