Question

What are multipurpose trees? Give the botanical and local names of any two multipurpose trees known to you and list their uses.

Answer 1

Multipurpose trees:

Multipurpose trees are the trees grown or cultured to produce more than one output. These are used to derive more products for human use like medicines, timbers, cereals, nuts and fruits. They also serve as noise absorbers and for providing shade.

Examples:

• Azadirachta indica (Neem)
• Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Red gum)

Uses of neem:

• It is used in medicines due to antifungal and antibacterial properties.
• It is used in mosquito and insect repellents.
• It is used for timber production.
• Neem is one of the top carbon sequestration plants as it can fix 1.45 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide in its lifetime.

Uses of red gum:

• It is used for timber.
• It is used for indigenious medicinal purposes.