Sandalwood Identification and Analysis

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


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%


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%


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%


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


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%


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