Abstract

The achievement of equitable and sustainable development remains the greatest challenge facing people of developing countries. Despite significant economic progress recorded in some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in the last decade or so, a substantial proportion of the people in Africa still live in acute poverty and suffer immensely from inadequate access to economic and social resources. As the agricultural sector dominates the economics of most Sub-Saharan African countries, it will be pertinent to improve the rate of agricultural growth and rural development that will in turn give a sustainable development. This paper explores the prerequisites and priorities for sustainable growth in Africa. Drawing heavily on lessons from the past, it examines the conditions for achieving sustainable development.

Tree crown is one complement of net primary production and its dimensions reflect general tree health. Crown diameter is often used as an important predictor variable for tree growth equation. The objective of the study was to develop parsimonious crown diameter prediction models for Tectona grandis (Linn F. Verbenaceae). Based on the data set from the temporary sample plots, several equations including linear, parable, cubic, power, growth and exponential functions were tested. These functions were evaluated in terms of coefficient of determination (R2) and standard error of the estimate (SEE). The significance of the estimated parameters was also verified. Plots of residuals against estimated crown diameter were observed. The power model had the highest R2 and the least SEE compared with the other models. It is therefore recommended as a parsimonious model for predicting crown diameter in the stand.Key Words: crown diameter, tree growth variables, modeling, Tectona grandis