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Assessment of Euphorbia stgenoclada Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) biomass in the Tulear region of southwestern Madagascar Volume 10, issue 1, Mars 1999

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  • Page(s) : 55
  • Published in: 1999

Euphorbia stenoclada is an endemic sand-fixing species that has a wide range of different uses. A study on the distribution of epigeus and hypogeus biomass of a 2.4 m high specimen and the number of shrubs in a 9,600 m2 area for each of 9 different stations provided an estimate of the species biomass, which ranged from 1.8 to 5.2 T/ha. This very low level, comparable to that reported by Ozenda [9] and Fournier [10] highlights the harsh climatic conditions faced by this species. It is grazed by zebu in southwestern regions of Madagascar (mean edible biomass: 1.4 T/ha dry matter). This species is currently used as emergency fodder for zebus during fodder-deficiency periods.