Early tree-soil-root relationships of Prosopis, Eucalyptus, and Azadirachta planted on sodic soils

An economic framework for the production analysis of joint forest management (JFM) is proposed. The framework has four main features: (i) a distinction between a social organization, responsible for the production process of JFM; and an industrial organization; (ii) inclusion of conventional factors (land, labour, and capital) as well as non-conventional factors (social, cultural, and organizational factors); (iii) inclusions of social, biological, and economic outputs; and (iv) conceptualization of a production model that includes transformation and transaction components. The framework is used for the production and efficiency analysis of JFM in the Gujarat state of India. First, the production functions and production possibility surfaces for social, biological, and economic outputs are estimated using the production data from fifty village-level production units of JFM. The results indicate that the inclusion of non conventional factors is critical for unbiased analysis. The social--social empowerment--and the biological outputs--forest canopy cover--are associate products, the social output and the economic output--supply of forest produce to meet local demand--are rival products, and the biological and the economic outputs are associate products, and the degree of association and rivalry between any two outputs varies. Second, using a two-stage procedure which combines deterministic linear programming with a stochastic econometric modelling, stochastic output and input distance functions characterizing the structure of joint production technology are specified and estimated. The results of output distance function are used to analyse the production efficiency and shadow prices of non-marketed outputs, and the results of input distance function are used to analyse the shadow prices of non-marketed inputs for different JFM production units. There appears to be a scope of improving production efficiency by about 9%. The villages with lower production of outputs were utilizing their resources more efficiently than the villages with higher output production. The shadow prices of outputs and inputs were not constant but varied with the inputs provided by the villages. Even though generalizations of the results may not be possible due to widely varying socio-economic conditions, the techniques can be used to devise policy and management prescriptions for any geographical setting., Tree-soil-root relationship were studied in a field trial of a native ('Azadirachta indica'), and two exotic ('Eucalyptus tereticornis' and 'Prosopis juliflora') multipurpose tree species planted on a sodic soil in India. The calcic pan of the planting hole was penetrated with mechanical augers. Root systems of twelve three-year-old trees were excavated, and above- and below-ground biomass, and nutrient concentrations in tree components were examined. Compared to other species, 'Peosopis ' exhibited the earliest canopy closure, accumulated the highest above- and below-ground biomass, and partitioned the greatest carbon to shoots while maintaining relatively constant root: shoot ratio. 'Prosopis' developed the maximum fine-root and total-root biomass, root spread and root depth, as well as a capacity to egress into sodic soil and penetrate the ' kankar' pan. Nutrient accumulation was highest for 'Prosopis ', achieved with stable nutrient balance, and effective Na exclusion from metabolically sensitive parts such as leaves. The Na was confined to older storage components such as stem and branches. The superior growing strategy by 'Prosopis' suggests that this species is most suited for sodic soil amelioration and that tree root systems contribute significantly to sodicity alleviation.