Abstract:
Tropical pines, initially raised for research purpose, are becoming increasingly important as plantation species in Nigeria for their use as a source of raw material for long fibred pulp in paper production. Large areas of unproductive hardwood forests are being converted into plantations of exotic softwood, specially Pinus species. Also, Pinus spp., notably P. caribaea and P. oocarpa, are considered to play a vital role in afforestation programme in the Northern Guinea and derived Savanna zones. Afaka Experimental Area, locted within Afaka Forest Reserve, stretching over 10,000 ha in the Northern Guinea Savanna zone, is one such plantation where exotic species of Pinus and Eucalyptusare grown for provenance trials and other researches.
