Casuarina Tree

Table of Contents☰

About Casuarina Tree:

It is native to Australia and it was introduced in India around the 19th centuary.
It is also known as kattadi and savukku.
There are four cultivated species of casuarinas viz., Casuarina equisetifolia, Casuarina glauca, Casuarina cunninghamaina and Casuarina junghuniana.
The nitrogen fixing ability and adaptability to grow in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions including moisture and nutrient limited sites makes Casuarina a preferred choice for commercial and environmental planting programme.
Distribution: Casuarinas are widely planted in the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean countries because of their ready adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions and also for their rapid growth performance.
Climate: The trees are suited to a wide range of temperature from 10°C-33°C, from sea level upto 1500m and mean annual rainfall between 700 and 2000 mm.
Soil: The tree is best suited to light soils. This species tolerates calcareous and slightly saline soils, but it is grown poorly on heavy soils such as clays.
Uses
- Apart from fuel, the wood is extensively used for papermaking and of late is a preferred choice for biomass-based power generation.
- The straight cylindrical stems find use in rural house building and as scaffolds in construction sites.
- It is the principal species for developing shelterbelts in coastal areas and windbreaks for protecting agricultural crops.
- It also plays a key role in reclaiming mined areas and afforesting nutrient-poor sites.

Q1: What is the Mediterranean climate?

It is a major climate type of the Köppen classification characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters and located between about 30° and 45° latitude north and south of the Equator and on the western sides of the continents.

Source: Casuarina farming sees resurgence in Vedaranyam six years after Cyclone Gaja