Identification and oil analysis of sandalwood varieties in Vanuatu and Cape York Vanuatu Department of Forests
Jul 18, 2015
Identification and oil analysis of sandalwood
varieties in Vanuatu and Cape YorkVanuatu Department of Forests
Santalum austrocaledonicum
Methodology• Tree
– Leaf length & width
– Fruit diameter
– Trunk diameter
– Tree height
– Depth of heartwood
– Colour of heartwood & bark blaze
– Est. bud, flower & fruit number
– Heartwood core sample
– Dried leaf sample
– Herbarium specimen
Methodology• Environmental
– GPS location
– Aspect
– Canopy gap fraction
– Soil descriptions
• Vegetation– Vegetation Type
– Recruitment
– Nearest Sandalwood
– Species ID within 5m
EnvironmentTree and
Trunk diameter at base and breast height (1.3m) in 9 populations of
Santalum austrocaledonicum in Vanuatu
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Aniwa E-Ponive E-Punalvaad E-Tamsel Malekula Moso S-Penouru S-Wusi Tanna
Populations
Tru
nk D
iam
ete
r (c
m)
Dia. @ base
DBH
Heartwood % by Population
0
10
20
30
40
Aniwa Ponive Punalvaad Tamsel Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
He
art
wo
od
%
19%
34% 29% 36%27%
21%
19%
32%
Dia @
base (cm)
Tree habit proportions by population
0
20
40
60
80
Ponive Santo Punalvaad Tamsel Malekula Aniwa Moso Tanna
% P
resen
t
ST
TF
MS
12% 14% 16% 43% 13% 22% 42% 33%Canopy
Gap Fr.
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
Single Trunk Trunk Forking
Tree Form
Ca
no
py
Sp
rea
d (
sq
m)
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
Single Trunk Trunk Forking
Tree Form
Can
op
y G
ap
Single Trunk 56%
Trunk Forking 40%
Multistemmed 4%
% trees with
‘Seedlings’
Aniwa Erromango Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
Recruitment per tree
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Nu
mb
er
of
pro
pa
gu
les
80% 54% 7% 24% 34% 43%
10.6 4.1 1.0 2.7 4.6 4.6Mean No.
Recruitment
Vegetation
Species Frequency Differences
Int. StandardEuphorbiaceae 33%
Psychotria forsteriana 33%
Malaisia scandens 31%
Clematis glycinoides 20%
Vitex campanulata 19%
Diospyros samoensis 19%
Eurycles amboinensis 18%
Maesa sp. 18%
Gyrocarpus americanus 17%
Micromelum minutum 16%
Pterocarpus indicus 16%
Gardenia tannaensis 16%
Rhamnella sp. 16%
Oplismenus hirtellus 14%
Pteris heteromorphophylla 14%
Pongamia pinnata 13%
Tylophora sp. 12%
Acalypha forsteriana 11%
Ventilago austrocaledonica 11%
Alphitonia ziziphoides 11%
Litsea imthurnei 11%
Top 5 SantalolPterocarpus indicus 12%
Euphorbiaceae 11%
Annona muricata 8%
Acacia spirorbis 7%
Macaranga dioica 7%
Vitex campanulata 7%
Rhamnella sp. 7%
Tarenna efatensis 6%
Macaranga tannarius 6%
Elattostachys falcata 6%
Cupaniopsis aneityensis 5%
Litsea imthurnei 5%
Trema orientalis 5%
Psychotria forsteriana 5%
Phyllanthus ciccoides 5%
Maesa sp. 5%
Miscanthus sinensis 5%
Pteris heteromorphophylla 5%
Flacourtiaceae 5%
Pittosporum sp. 5%
Lantana camara 4%
Top 5 YieldLeucaena leucocephala 11%
Cordyline fruticosa 10%
Syzygium clusifolium 6%
Murraya paniculata 6%
Tarenna efatensis 6%
Albizia lebbeck 6%
Derris trifoliata 5%
Acalypha forsteriana 5%
Eurycles amboinensis 5%
Celtis paniculata 4%
Aglaia sp. 4%
Eugenia sp. 4%
Lindsaea sp. 4%
Mimusops elengi 4%
Ervatamia sp. 4%
Similar to Polysias (Nas) 4%
Ficus prolixa 4%
Streblus pendulinus 3%
Gyrocarpus americanus 3%
Elattostachys falcata 3%
Ficus obliqua 3%
Species by Species
Annona muricata
Aniwa 24% -16% 84%*
Tamsel 12% - 8% -
Tanna -2.7% -2% -
Total 8% -4% 6%
Bambusa vulgaris
Malekula 2% 26% 26%
Santo -37% -33% -33%
Tanna - 3% -17% -
Total -4% 1% 2%
sant yield std
Pterocarpus indicus
Aniwa -12% -12% -12%
Malekula 12% 32% 23%
Moso 9% 10% -
Ponive 16% 16% -
Punalvaad 37% 17% -
Santo 40% -40% 4%
Tamsel - 4% - 4% -
12% 2% 3%
Species by Species
Micromellum minutum
Aniwa 0% -20% -20%
Malekula 39% 23% 20%
Ponive - 4% - 4% -
Santo 27% - 13% 4%
Tamsel - 4% - 4% -
2% - 3% 16%
sant yield std
Macaranga dioica
Malekula 9% -11% 3%
Ponive 0% 0% -
Punalvaad 15% 15% -
Santo 0% -40% -7%
Tamsel 24% 4% -
Tanna -11% 13% -
7% - 3% %
Species by SpeciesAcalypha grandis
Aniwa 4% -16% 14%
Malekula 13% - 7% 21%
Tamsel 20% 40% -
Tanna - 2% -21% -
3% - 2% 3%
Litsea imthurnei
Malekula 13% - 7% 7%
Santo 30% -10% 12%
Litsea sp. Santo 33% - 7% 16%
Total 5% -2% 11%
Miscanthus sinensis
Moso - 5% - 5% -
Santo 37% -23% 10%
Tamsel 12% 12% -
Tanna - 4% - 3% -
5% - 3% 8%
Macropiper latifolium
Santo -13% -13% -13%
Tamsel - 8% 12% -
Tanna - 9% -3% -
- 3% - 3% -5%
sant yield std
Species by SpeciesCeltis paniculata
Moso -48% - 8% -
Ponive -24% - 4% -
Punalvaad 5% 25% -
Santo -17% 3% - 6%
- 8% 4% -1%
Ixora triflora
Malekula - 7% - 7% 7%
Moso - 5% - 5% -
Punalvaad -12% -12% -
Santo -27% 13% - 4%
- 7% - 2% 4%
sant yield std
Leucaena leucocephala
Aniwa -44% 16% -64%
Malekula 8% 28% 20%
Moso 0% 0% -
Ponive -12% -12% -
Punalvaad 5% 25% -
Tamsel 12% - 8% -
Tanna 9% 13 % -
- 4% 11% -9%
Candidate Species for Genotype x Host
• Micromellum minutumOccurs on Santo & Malekula and grows more frequently with those of high
oil quality in both sites
• Pterocarpus indicusGrows more frequently with trees of high oil quality in most of the sample
sites
• Litsea imthurneiOccurs on Santo & Malekula and grows more frequently with those of high
oil quality in both sites
Mean Leaf Length & Width in Vanuatu Sandalwood Populations
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Aniw a E-Ponive E-Punalvaad E-Tamsel Malekula Moso S-Penouru S-Wusi Tanna
Population
Len
gth
/Wid
th (
mm
)
Mean Length
Mean Width
Nested ANOVA: Length versus Population, Accession, Aspect
Variance Components
Source Var Comp. % of Total StDev
Population 36.218 23.00 6.018
Accession 45.390 28.82 6.737
Aspect 33.588 21.33 5.795
Error 42.304 26.86 6.504
Total 157.500 12.550
Nested ANOVA: Width versus Population, Accession, Aspect
Variance Components
Source Var Comp. % of Total StDev
Population 2.907 11.77 1.705
Accession 6.808 27.57 2.609
Aspect 6.890 27.90 2.625
Error 8.088 32.75 2.844
Total 24.693 4.969
Oil & Heartwood
Heartwood colour frequency histogram
5D6
6C6
6D5
6D6
6E5
6E6
6E7
7D6
7E5
7E6
7E7
8E5
8E6
8E7
9E5
9E7
0
5
10
15
20
25
Fre
qu
en
cy
Heartwood Saturation Vs Oil Yield mg/g
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
A B C D E F
Saturation Category
Oil Y
ield
mg
/g
Primary oil constituents in sandalwood populations of Vanuatu
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Aniw a E-Ponive E-Punalvaad E-Tamsel Malekula Moso S-Penouru S-Wusi Tanna
Populations
Perc
en
tag
e
α-santalol
β-santalol
cis-nuciferol
c-cur12ol
16%
24%
41%
%b-santalol
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
% b
-san
talo
l
%a-santalol
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
% a
-san
talo
l
%cis-nuciferol
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
% c
is-n
ucif
ero
l
% c-cur12ol
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
%c-c
ur1
2o
l
1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Bi-
Tri
cyclic :
Mo
no
cyclic R
ati
o
48%
Proportion of trees with a Bi-Tricyclic : Monocyclic Ratio of greater than 1
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Aniw a E-Ponive E-Punalvaad E-Tamsel Malekula Moso S-Penouru S-Wusi Tanna
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f in
div
idu
als
Ratio of Tri/bicyclic : Monocycyclic Sequiterpenes
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
E-Ponive E-Tamsel E-Punalvaad Moso Tanna Aniw a Malekula S-Wusi S-Penouru
Rati
o
%Z-α-santalol across six islands of Santalum austrocaledonicum in Vanuatu
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
Accession
% Z
-α-s
an
talo
l
Aniw a
Erromango
Malekula
Moso
Santo
Tanna
26.5%
3.6%
34.4%
17.6%
40.2%
18.8%
Int. Std. 41%
Aniwa Erromango Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
7 92
Indiv
Meeting
standard
%Z-β-santalol across six islands of Santalum austrocaledonicum in Vanuatu
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
Accession
%Z
-β-s
an
talo
l
Aniw a
Erromango
Malekula
Moso
Santo
Tanna
14.3%
11.2%
18.7%
14.6%
20.3%
14.9%
Int. Std. 16%
Int. Std. 24%
Aniwa Erromango Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
10 5 22 9 19 14
Indiv
Meeting
standard
%cis-nuciferol across six islands of Santalum austrocaledonicum in Vanuatu
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
Accession
%cis
-nu
cif
ero
l
Aniw a
Erromango
Malekula
Moso
Santo
Tanna
Aniwa Erromango Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
10.6%
17.4%
3.7%
9.8%
4.0%
12.2%
Oil Yield for 6 islands in Vanuatu
0.00%
1.00%
2.00%
3.00%
4.00%
5.00%
6.00%
7.00%
8.00%
9.00%
Island
% o
il
Aniw a
Erromango
Malekula
Moso
Santo
Tanna1.3% 2.3%
3.6%
1.7% 1.7% 1.9%
2.1%
Aniwa Erromango Malekula Moso Santo Tanna
Yield & Composition of volatiles extraction by various extraction techniques
Moretta P (2001) Extraction and variation of the essential oil from Western Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum). Ph.D. thesis, University of W.A.
Summary• Significant divergence found between populations for a range of characters
• Significant tree-to-tree variation for important oil characters
• Variation in heartwood %, which is independent of DBH
• Heartwood and bark-blaze colour have no relationship with heartwood oil quantity or quality and cannot be used as a selection criteria
• Considerable potential for short term improvement in oil quality using highest quality individuals from each population
• Two highest quality populations (Santo & Malekula) are known to have a high incidence of homozygosity.
• Require greater species survey to identify other ‘high quality’ populations and individuals.
• Continuous variation found for all oil constituents
• Very little evidence for vegetation type to have any influence on the oil characters measured
• Three possible candidate species for use in the host by genotype interaction experimentMicromellum minutum, Pterocarpus indicus & Litsea imthurnei
Santalum austrocaledonicum