Does anyone have experience with using casy\uarina trees for tropical reforestation?

Question

I am looking for seedlings for a test project in a high altitude tropical area, and for more information. Thanks!

leviter: sorry about the typo in the name, I was really tired when I got back from the field last night. It was a 7 1/2 hour bus ride through landslides. I am working in Guatemala, at 10,000- 11,000 feet above sea level. The bedrock is pure high-grade limestone, and does not hold water well. Water is a limitation factor. The season is 7 months of rain, 5 months of dry. For reforestation projects the women carry water 1/4 mile or more every day in the dry seaon. We are interested in conserving what little forest is left, and for that we desperately need an alternative fuel source for fires (it gets below 30 degrees F some nights in the dry season). I am working with some of the poorest people in the Western hemisphere. If you can help me identify a species or two of casuarina that would be suited to this environment, as a manged plantation crop, it would be of enormous benefit to me. My e-mail is [e-mail]. Thanks!!

Answer 1

Please ignore what Maverick has said. It is entirely incorrect.

There are dozens of species of Casuarina, not just one.

Many of those species will grow at high altitude, indeed one of the new subspecies discovered in high altitude forest in PNG just two months ago was a Casuarina.

Casuarinas do not just prefer sandy soil. Some do but others such as C. cristata are only ever found on growing on heavy clays and clay duplexes. Still others such as C. leuhmanii will grow on any well drained substrate.

The vast majority of Casuarina species are not coastal and are never to be found along sea shores. Rather they are plants of arid interior regions and are common elements of the Australian desert flora.

The vast majority of Casuarinas are not tall trees. Most species will not exceed 10 metres in height and many species such as C. pusilla normally exist in shrub form and only rarely exceed 2 metres in height.

I will try to help with your question, but you really need to provide more information.

What country and climatic region are you going to be working in, what resources do you have and what Casuarina species do you intend to work with?

Answer 2

The tree is Casuarina ,and it does not grow at high altitude. It prefers sandy soil as available along the sea shores.
These are tall trees and look very much like pines from a distance.
They grow well along the shore line and are excellent sand binders.
They can be and they are being used to prevent soil/sand erosion .

Answer 3

Nope.