Woody Shrubs as a Potential Source of Domestic Energy in the Eastern Himalayan Region of India

Abstract

Nine indigenous woody shrub species viz. Cassia occidentails, Cassia tora, Eupatorium odoratum, Prosopis spicigera, Osbeckia nepalensis, Leea sambusina, Cassia alata, Eugenia balsamea, and Tamarix dioica growing in their natural habitat in the northeast region of India were studied for their charcoal production potential by pyrolyzing at terminal temperatures of 300–800°C at a constant heating rate of 3°C/min. The product composition and the quality of charcoals formed in each of the terminal temperatures were analyzed and discussed. Among all of the species, it was found that O. nepalensis, E. balsamea, P. spicigera, C. occidentails, and T. dioica showed higher percentages of charcoal yields and fixed carbon contents than the other four shrub species. From the study results, it can be concluded that various shrub species are no less than tree species as a reliable resource for domestic energy.

Keywords:

• carbonization
• charcoal quality
• charcoal yield
• northeast India
• woody shrub species

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Two of the authors (RSC and MB) gratefully acknowledge the Senior Research Fellowship from MNRE (Govt. of India), New Delhi and UGC, New Delhi.

ORCID

R. S. Chutia

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4288-8066