GROWTH OF NATIVE SPECIES OF THE DECIDUOUS/DENSE TROPICAL FOREST OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Abstract

The tree species caúna-da-serra (Ilex brevicuspis Reissek.), cocão (Erythroxilum deciduum), tarumã-de-espinho (Cytharexylum montevidense Sprenger) e capororoca (Rapanea ferruginea (Ruiz & Pavon) Mez), native in the deciduous seasonal forest / dense tropical forest of Santa Maria were studied using a retrospective analysis. A stem analysis was performed of each species, measuring annual growth rings. Volume growth, commercial form factor and the annual percentual increment of commercial volume were analyzed according to growth at diameter at breast height. For modelling purposes 5 different equations were tested. It could be shown that a polynome of second degree was best adjusted to the growth of commercial volume and commercial form factor while annual percentual increment of commercial volume showed best fit with an exponential function. A significantly different accumulation of volume could be found concerning the different species which were studied. While tarumã and cocão show a rapid accumulation in growth, caúna and capororoca grow more slowly. This is correlated with more cylindric stems in the case of tarumã and cocão. The annual percentual increment of commercial volume moves between the range of more than 100% at the beginning of the growth process and below 10% at the end of the studied growth period.

Keywords

• Análise de tronco
• espécies nativas
• Rio Grande do Sul