Growing multipurpose trees and using agroforestry practices are important to farmers in addition to crop agriculture. Bioenergy is a logical supplement to fossil fuel derived energy.

1. WOODY BIOMASS ENERGY
MULTIPURPOSE TREES, FORESTRY,
ENERGY PLANTATIONS - CRITERIA FOR
CHOOSING TREE SPECIES, EXAMPLES

2. Due to varied climatic conditions, India has a wide range
of natural vegetation. Vegetation of India can be divided
into five types –
• Tropical evergreen forest,
• Tropical deciduous forest,
• Thorny bushes,
• Mountain vegetation and
• Mangrove forests.

3. Climate, soil type, topography, and elevation are the main
factors that determine the type of forest. Forests are
classified according to their nature and composition, the
type of climate in which they thrive, and its relationship with
the surrounding environment.
India is rich in the natural diversity. Forest is the second
largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forests
play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and
81,000 faunal species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal
species are endemic.

4. Evergreen forests grow in the high rainfall areas of the Western Ghats,
North –eastern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These forests
grow in areas where the monsoon period lasts for several months.
Deciduous forests are found in regions with a moderate amount of
seasonal rainfall that lasts for only a few months. Most of the forests in
which Teak trees grow are of this type. The deciduous trees shed their
leaves during the winter and hot summer months.
Thorn forests are found in the semi-arid regions. The trees, which are
sparsely distributed, are surrounded by open grassy areas.
Mangroves forests grow along the coast in the river deltas. These plants
are adapted to be able to grow in a mix of saline and freshwater. They grow
in muddy areas covered with silt that the rivers have brought down. The
mangrove trees have breathing roots that emerge from the mud banks.

5. MULTIPURPOSE TREES
 While all trees can be said to serve several purposes, such
as habitat, shade, and soil protection, some trees really
stand out in their usefulness.
 Such trees are called "multipurpose trees“ - trees with the
ability to provide numerous products and perform a variety
of functions in farming or forestry.
 Multipurpose trees can be integrated with farming and
forestry to improve yields, diversify products, increase
economic resiliency, and improve farm viability and
sustainability in the long-term.

6. Forest resource base-India
 1 % of world's forests on 2.47 % of
world's geographical area
 Sustaining 16 % of the world's population
and 15 % of its livestock population
 Forest area cover--76.52 mill. hectares, is
23.28 % of the total geographical area of
India.

7. Causes of tremendous pressure
on Forest resource base
 Exponential rise in human and livestock
population
 increasing demand on land allocation to
alternative uses such as agriculture,
pastures and development activities.
 Insufficient availability, poor purchasing
power of people in rural areas for
commercial fuels like kerosene & LPG

8.  Energy Plantation: Growing trees for
their fuel and economic value
 A plantation that is designed or managed
and operated to provide substantial
amounts of usable fuel continuously
throughout the year at a reasonable cost--
'energy plantation‘
 Employ ‘Wasteland’-- not usable for
agriculture and cash crops, useful for a
social forestry activity, with inputs required.

9. Criteria for energy plantation
 'Wasteland‘--sufficient area, not usable for
agriculture and cash crops, available for a social
forestry activity
 Tree species favorable to climate and soil
conditions
 Combination of harvest cycles and planting
densities that will optimize the harvest of fuel
and the operating cost--12000 to 24000 trees
per hectare.

10. Criteria for energy plantation-
continued
 Multipurpose tree species-fuel wood
supply & improve soil condition
 Trees that are capable of growing in
deforested areas with degraded soils, and
withstand exposure to wind and drought
 Rapid growing legumes that fix
atmospheric nitrogen to enrich soil

11. Criteria for energy plantation-
continued
 Species that can be found in similar
ecological zones
 Produce wood of high calorific value that
burn without sparks or smoke
 Have other uses in addition to providing
fuel -- multipurpose tree species most
suited for bio-energy plantations or social
forestry

12. Indian TREES / WOOD:
 Leucaena leucocephala (Subabul)
 Acacia sp
 Casurina sp
 Derris indica (Pongam)
 Eucalyptus sp
 Sesbania sp
 Prosopis juliflora
 Azadiracta indica (Neem)

13. HYDROCARBON PLANTS, OIL
PRODUCING SHRUBS:
 Hydrocarbon-- Euphorbia group
 & Euphorbia Lathyrus
 OIL Shrubs-- Euphorbia Tirucali
 Soyabean
 Sunflower
 Groundnut
 Jatropa

14. Leucaena leucocephala (Subabul)
 It makes good yields for green manure.
 Leucaena yields fuelwood.
 Leucaena has great potential for carbon
sequestration
 Leucaena Fixes Nitrogen.
 Leucaena is a legume, a tree that fixes nitrogen
from the air. It is a fast growing nitrogen fixing
tree (FGNFT), which can be profitably grown
and used by both small and large farmers.

15. Leucaena
 Produces firewood
 Can produce furniture, make paper and fibers for
rayon-cellophane,
By-product from tree:
 make fertilizer, livestock feed, flooring, living
fence posts, small woodcraft
 Tree can create shade for plants and banana
crops

16. Acacia nilotica
 Gum Arabic is a gum that exudes from the
stems and branches of A. nilotica; this plant is
found wild in the dry areas of tropical Africa and
India. This gum is used for dyeing and printing.
 Agroforestry. Babul (ssp. indica) is a popular
farm tree of the central plains of India. More
recently interest has centred on the fastigiate
form (ssp. cupressiformis). This subspecies
makes an ideal windbreak surrounding fields; its
narrow crown shades less than other windbreak
species.

17. Acacia nilotica, [for Land Rehabilitation ]
 In India this species is used extensively on
degraded saline/alkaline soils, growing on
soils up to pH 9, with a soluble salt content
below 3%. It also grows well when irrigated
with tannery effluent, and colonises waste
heaps from coal mines. Over 50,000
hectares of the Indian Chambal ravines have
been rehabilitated with A. nilotica by aerial
seeding (it is one of the 3 most frequently
used trees for this purpose).

18. Pongamia pinnata (L.)
Derris indica(Lam.)
 Nitrogen fixing tree (NFT) that produces seeds
containing 30-40% oil
 Commonly called pongam, karanga,
 With a calorific value of 4600 kcal per kg,
pongam is commonly used as fuelwood.
 In India, the oil is used as a fuel for cooking and
lamps. The oil is also used as a lubricant, water-
paint binder, pesticide, and in soap making and
tanning industries.

19. Jatropha curcas [ physic nut], is unique among
biofuels. Although oil can be extracted from over 80
known plant species, jatropha is currently the first
choice for biodiesel. Able to tolerate arid climates,
rapidly growing, useful for a variety of products,
Jatropha can yield up to two tons of biodiesel fuel
per year per hectare.
Jatropha requires minimal inputs, stablizes or even
reverses desertification, and has use for a variety of
products after the biofuel is extracted.

20. neem tree (Azadirachta indica)
 Tree used in windbreaks, fuelwood plantations, and
silvo-pastoral systems, for dry zones and infertile,
rocky, sandy or shallow soils. The leaves, bark, wood
and fruit of the neem tree either repel or discourage
insect pests, and these plant parts are incorporated
into traditional soil preparation, grain storage, and
animal husbandry practices.
 Several neem-based biological pest control (BPC)
products have been developed. The neem tree can
provide an inexpensive integrated pest management
(IPM) resource for farmers, the raw material for small
rural enterprises, or the development of neem-based
industries.

21. Prosopis juliflora
 Prosopis juliflora (Spanish:
bayahonda blanca) is a shrub
or small tree native to Mexico.
It is a weed in Asia, Australia
and elsewhere. Its uses
include forage, wood and
environmental management.
The species is widely used for
firewood and to make barriers.

22. Arjun tree : Terminalia arjuna
 Arjuna is the large size deciduous tree.
The height of the Arjuna tree reaches
upto 60 -85 feet.
 It is the evergreen tree with the yellow
flowers and conical leaves.
 It has a smooth gray bark.
 Fruit is 2.5 -3.5 cm long, fibrous woody,
glabrous with 5 hard wings, striated with
numerous arjun - tree curved veins.

23. Mango (Mangifera indica): fruit, medicine, leaves
used as mulch, wood used as timber, windbreak
component.
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica): Shade, fruit, light
timber, medicinal uses.
When choosing a species for a particular purpose,
the multiple uses and functions the species can
provide should be considered.
Common trees of India

24. Common trees of India …continued
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus): Edible fruit,
seeds, and young leaves; leaves used for animal
fodder; bark used for dye; medicine; timber;
windbreak component .
Coconut (Cocos nucifera): nut, purified water
(inside nut), timber, fuel, crafts (fronds, nut, husk
and wood), housing thatch, wind protection,

25. Amla: Emblica officinalis (Indian gooseberry)
 Amla can grow in light as well as the heavy soils, under
the tropical conditions. It requires proper sunlight. The
young plants are protected from the hot winds as they
dye easily.
 Amla is generally propagated through seeds. It is
irrigated during the monsoon season. It starts bearing
fruits in seven years from the day of planting. It is
planted through the deciduous of tropical India and on
the hill slopes up to 2000 meter.
 It is commercially cultivated in the state of Uttar Pradesh
in India. It is also grown in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh also.

26.  Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus):
Edible fruit, seeds, and young leaves;
leaves used for animal fodder; bark used
for dye; medicine; timber; windbreak
component
 Ipil Ipil or giant haole koa (Leucaena
leucocephala): Fixes nitrogen, provides
mulch and organic matter, windbreak
component, fodder, food, fuelwood, seeds
used in jewelry and crafts
 The neem tree is a widely adaptable
multipurpose tree.

27. Peepal
Peepal is a large, fast growing deciduous tree. It has a
heart shaped leaves. It is a medium size tree and has a
large crown with the wonderful wide spreading
branches. It shed its leaves in the month of March and
April. The fruits of the Peepal are hidden with the figs.
The figs are ripen in the tree in the month of May. The
figs which contain the flowers grow in pairs just below
the leaves and look like the berries. Its bark is light gray
and peels in patches. Its fruit is purple in colour. It is one
of the longest living trees.

28. FARANGIPANI, CHAMPA or PAGODA TREE Plumeria acutifolia Poir.
Plumeria named in honour of Charles Plumier (1664-1706) a French
priest, traveller and botanist. Acutifolia in reference to the sharp-pointed
leaves.
A small deciduous tree reaching 15-25 ft.; stem crooked, producing
short adventitious roots; bark rough and scaly, greyish. Leaves in
crowded spirals at the end of the branches; reaching one foot long,
lanceolate and tapering at both ends, sometimes rounded; veins
parallel, prominent. Flowers in upright clusters at the ends of the
branches, large, waxy white with yellow centres, funnel-shaped with 5
spreading petals; the left margin has a tendency to curl, stamens
inserted deep within the flower; highly scented. Fruit composed of two
horn-like follicles, 4-6 in. long; seeds with a tassel of silk.

29. SAG or SAGWAN: TEAK: Tectona grandis Linn. (Order: Verbenaceae)
Tectona is derived from the vernacular name Tekka used in Malabar.
Grandis in allusion to its beauty or great utility. A large deciduous tree;
branches quadrangular.
Leaves opposite, elliptical or obovate, 12-24 in. by 6-12 in., often much
larger in young plants; upper surface or smooth, below hoary; main veins
8-10 pairs, prominent.
It is important source of valuable timber and its growing and management
is in the hands of the Forest Department. The high quality of the timber is
of great economic value. It is used for ship-building and all manner of
building and furniture making. It is very durable and easily worked and
takes a good polish.

30.  Forests are very useful for us. They perform various
functions.
 Plants release oxygen that we breathe and absorb
carbon dioxide.
 The roots of the plants bind the soil; thus, they
control soil erosion.
 Forests provide us with timber for furniture, fuel
wood, fodder, medicinal plants and herbs, lac, honey,
gum, etc.
 Forests are the natural habitat of wild life.

31. Trees provide an amount of insurance in the event
of a primary crop failure or market fluctuation.
Multipurpose trees create resources that can allow
the farm to be diversified and productive in the
long-term, even if environmental or market
conditions shift from the primary crops. E.g., Neem
(Azadirachta indica): Powerful insecticidal and
medicinal properties in seed, leaf, and bark; also
food (leaves), timber, windbreak component

32. Characteristic of traditional biomass use as fuel was
 Collection by pilferage from forests,
 Low efficiency of devices, scarcity of fuelwood,
drudgery associated with the devices used,
 Environmental degradation (such as forest
degradation) and low quality of life.
 Making biomass supply sustainable and utilization
efficient through improved technology is a modern
development.

33. Modern Bio Energy Technologies
Conserve biomass through efficiency
improvement,
Convert solid biomass to electricity
and liquid and gaseous fuels.
Bio-energy technologies based on
sustained biomass supply can be
carbon neutral and lead to net CO2
emission reduction if efficiently used
to substitute fossil fuels.