First step to solve environmental problems contributing to social and economic sustainability on an island

In order to decrease the costs of land clearing of the invasive plant species Hedychium gardenerianum (Kahili ginger) at Azores, we conducted a study to use the plant waste materials to produce briquettes, packages, paper,... [ view full abstract ]

In order to decrease the costs of land clearing of the invasive plant species Hedychium gardenerianum (Kahili ginger) at Azores, we conducted a study to use the plant waste materials to produce briquettes, packages, paper, disposable drinking systems, plates and cutlery. After the construction and testing of these prototypes, we aimed to estimate the quantity of raw material produced by these plants per square metre and per year in three places under different locations (mean annual temperature: 10ºC, 14ºC, 17ºC; annual mean rainfall: 2700 mm, 2000 mm, 1200 mm; mean slope: 50º, 30º, 10º). With that purpose, a set of six plots of 1 m2 were and will be monitored for a two years’ period in three different places at São Miguel Island. 18 plots were tested; from 9 plots we estimate the total fresh weight (including the rhizomes); from the remain 9 plots, the aerial plant parts were cut off and their posterior development from the rhizomes measured by non-destructive methods, to estimate the time between two cuts of raw material. Regardless of plot’s geographic setting and weather conditions, the total fresh weight, the stem dry weight and the leaves dry weight per m2 are not statistically different. The calculated masses per area were: total fresh weight, 24.000 kg/m²; stem dry weight, 0.676 kg/m²; and leaves dry weight, 0.102 kg/m2. Ten months after stems’ cutting, the number of stems increased significantly from 15 to 20 plants/m² and the average plant length reached 91% of the total mean length of the stems before cutting (1.29 m).

Keywords: Hedychium gardenerianum, Kahili ginger, Fresh weight, Dry weight, Islands  

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from: (1) FEDER, through Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade − COMPETE and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia − FCT, by the project UID/FIS/00068/2013; (2) Regional Government of the Azores-Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (Fellowship M3.1.a/F/040/2015).