Rate of Growth of some Evergreen Species

Abstract

The tree species in the Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests of Karnataka State are comparatively slow in growth. The fastest among them takes around 137 years to reach a girth of 1.8 m (at breast height). Even in the peak girthing periOd the rate of growth for for Dipterocarpus indicus (the fastest) is 1.58 cm per year. Diospyros paniculata is the slowest species with an average annual girth increment of 0.324 cm whereas Dipterocarpus indicus is the fastest with an average annual girth increment of 1.38 cm.