Multifunctional Agriculture

Chapter 11

Domestication of Forest Trees: A Process to Secure the Productivity and Future Diversity of Tropical Ecosystems

This chapter was previously published in Leakey, R.R.B., Last, F.T., Longman, K.A., 1982. Commonwealth Forestry Review, 61, 33–42, with permission of Commonwealth Forestry Association

Abstract

In recent years, progress has been made with domestication of Triplochiton scleroxylon, an important timber tree of the moist West African forests. Seeds are only viable for a few weeks, but the successful development of vegetative propagation methods has provided an alternative. Rooted cuttings have the further advantage that they can readily be tested to identify promising clones of good form. To this end, experiments on the physiology ...