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Pak. J. Bot., 46(5): 1719-1724, 2014.

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HARVESTING AND CONSUMPTION OF FUEL AND TIMBER WOOD IN RURAL AREA OF DISTRICT TANK, PAKISTAN

LAL BADSHAH^1*, FARRUKH HUSSAIN¹, ZAMAN SHER² AND TANVIR BURNI¹

Abstract: The study revealed that 90% of the rural people with different age group of District Tank, Pakistan depended upon firewood for catering. The total annual wood consumption for fueling by brick brewers, food sellers and domestic utilization was 18371 metric tons in this remote region. The saw machines also convert 13650 metric tons of timber wood yearly into logs and boards of various grades. The total wood consumption exceeds the quantity of wood harvested by tree fellers, farmers and wood sellers. Therefore the balance of over 13000 metric tons is sourced from neighboring forest of Tehsil Kulachi and Dera Ismail Khan. The quantity of wood removed and consumed for various purposes did not show a significant difference at α (0.05) among the six locations. However student t-test showed significant difference existed in the mean annual removal and consumption of wood in the area. The study also enumerated Acacia nilotica, Tamarix aphylla, and Sueda fruticosa as the best and preferred fuel species. While Acacia nilotica, Prosopis farcta and Dalbergia sisso as the frequently used timber species in the region. The criterion of firewood and lumber consumption was very conventional like durability in blaze and opposed to termite. Consequently, it is recommended scientific vegetation conservation strategies meant at improved burning of fuel wood and maximized used of timber products as a complimentary efforts to enforced tree planting for conservation of plant resources..

Key word: Conservation, Fuel wood, Timber wood, Ethnobotany, Pakistan.

¹Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Peshawar Pakistan

²Govt. Degree College, Lahor, District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author e-mail: badshahmasood1@gmail.com