Potential of Eucalyptus dunnii at the Northern Limit of Eucalypt Introduction in China

摘要

Eucalypts, which are a major, source of short-rotation, industrial timber, have developed quickly in the southern subtropics of China. Lying in the mid-sub-tropics, Hunan province has introduced 62 Eucalyptus species and over 130 provenances, has developed 53 ha of field trials, and plantations cover 13,000 ha. After the species provenance trials, we found E. camaldulensis, E. dunnii, E. grandis and E. grandis x E. urophylla grew well. Eucalyptus dunnii has a limited distribution in Australia in northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland (latitude 28°45′-30°09′S, longitude 152°20′-152 °54′E). It is a fast-growing species that, in places, can have an annual height growth increment over 5 m. In Central and South America it is planted commercially and regarded as a cold-resistant species. In South Africa, it is more cold resistant than E. grandis, and it tolerates a dry season of 6 months in Zimbabwe where 5-year-old trees in a trial averaged 21 m in height and 18 cm diameter at breast height (dbh).