Crescimento e características funcionais de espécies florestais em plantio para a recuperação de área perturbada

The current scenario of deforestation in the Legal Amazon is represented by a total of about 42 million hectares of altered areas only between 1988 and 2016. The revegetation of these areas from reforestation programs presupposes adequate species selection. The success in the initial establishment (survival and growth) of the species in disturbed areas depend on the performance of the functional processes that affect the growth rates. The objective was to investigate how the functional traits explain the growth variation of forest species planted in disturbed area after abandoned area and vegetation remotion). The relative growth rates in height (TCR-a) and diameter (TCR-d) and functional traits were analyzed in eight native forest species (Bombacopsis macrocalyx, Cedrela odorata, Ceiba pentandra, Endlicheria anomala, Hymenaea courbaril, Ochroma pyramidale, Tachigali Vulgaris and Trattinnickia rhoifolia) 15 months after planting. T. vulgaris, T. rhoifolia and O.pyramidale had the highest relative growth rates in height and diameter, while B. macrocalyx had the lowest growth. TCR-a and TCR-d were on average 2.5 times higher for the faster growing species (T. vulgaris) relative to the slower growing species (B. macrocalyx). Morphological (leaf area and specific leaf mass) and physiological traits (water potential, leaf nutrient and chlorophyll content), which are usuallyassociated with the relative growth rates, were not strong predictors of the growth variation ofthe eight species studied here. The best predictors were: maximum photosynthesis (A max ), instantaneous carbon use efficiency (EUC) and photosynthetic macronutrient use efficiency, mainly phosphorus (EUP). The growth rates increased with increasing of A max , EUC and EUP. The mean variation in growth rates explained by the three individual functional traits (A max , EUC and EUP) was about 25%. The observed relationship between growth and functional traits can improve the selection of native forest species for the composition of planting models in reforestation programs in disturbed areas.O cenário atual do desflorestamento na Amazônia Legal é representado por um total de cerca de 42 milhões de hectares de áreas alteradas somente entre 1988 e 2016. A revegetação destas áreas a partir de programas de reflorestamento pressupõe adequada seleção das espécies. O sucesso no estabelecimento inicial (sobrevivência e crescimento) das espécies em áreas perturbadas depende do desempenho dos processos funcionais que afetam as taxas de crescimento. O objetivo foi investigar como as características funcionais explicam a variação de crescimento de espécies florestais plantadas em área perturbada após agricultura abandonada e remoção da vegetação. As taxas de crescimento relativo em altura (TCR-a) e diâmetro (TCR- d) e as características funcionais foram analisadas em oito espécies florestais nativas (Bombacopsis macrocalyx, Cedrela odorata, Ceiba pentandra, Endlicheria anomala, Hymenaea courbaril, Ochroma pyramidale, Tachigali vulgaris e Trattinnickia rhoifolia) 15 meses após o plantio. T. vulgaris, T. rhoifolia e O.pyramidale tiveram as maiores taxas de crescimento relativo em altura e diâmetro, enquanto B. macrocalyx teve o menor crescimento. TCR-a e TCR-d foram em média 2,5 vezes maiores para a espécie de crescimento mais rápido (T. vulgaris) em relação à espécie de crescimento mais lento (B. macrocalyx). Características morfológicas (área foliar e massa foliar específica) e fisiológicas (potencial hídrico, teores foliares de nutrientes e clorofilas) que normalmente são associadas às taxas de crescimento relativo das espécies, não foram fortes preditores da variação de crescimento das oito espécies aqui estudadas. Os melhores preditores foram: fotossíntese máxima (A max ), eficiência instantânea no uso do carbono (EUC) e eficiência fotossintética no uso dos macronutrientes, especialmente fósforo (EUP). As taxas de crescimento aumentaram com o aumento A max , EUC e EUP. A variação média das taxas de crescimento explicada pelas três características funcionais individuais (A max , EUC e EUP) foi cerca de 25%. A relação observada entre o crescimento e as características funcionais pode aprimorar a seleção de espécies florestais nativas para a composição de modelos de plantios em programas de reflorestamento de áreas perturbadas

Leaf traits explaining the growth of tree species planted in a Central Amazonian disturbed area

Tree species selected for planting should exhibit both high survival and fast growth. The growth of a tree or forest plantation is affected by the resource supply (light, water and nutrients), the fraction of resources acquired and resource use efficiency. Leaf traits related to the last two processes have the potential to explain the growth rates. In this study, we evaluated 24 leaf traits (morphological and physiological) at the individual level to investigate whether simple leaf traits can be used to predict the variation in relative growth rates of eight native tree species in a mixed plantation in disturbed areas in Central Amazonia 15 months after planting. Tachigali vulgaris and Trattinnickia rhoifolia exhibited the highest growth rates in both height and diameter, which were approximately three and two times higher than those of Bombacopsis macrocalyx, respectively. Species exhibited different establishment strategies as indicated by the functional leaf trait performance. Tachigali vulgaris, Ochroma pyramidale, Trattinnickia rhoifolia and Ceiba pentandra are efficient resource use species, have high light-saturated photosynthetic rates and are tolerant to high irradiance stress. Endlicheria anomala exhibited the worst performance based on functional traits, with the lowest light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Amax) and maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (FV/FM). Of all traits analyzed, 12 leaf traits were correlated with the relative growth rate (RGR). Leaf traits related to resource acquisition, such as individual leaf area, chlorophyll content, leaf water potential and leaf nutrient concentration, were not good predictors of growth. Only stomatal conductance (gs) was related to the RGR. Leaf traits related to photosynthetic use efficiency (carbon use efficiency and photosynthetic nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency) explained, on average, 20% and 30% of tree growth in height and diameter, respectively. Resource use efficiency traits were better predictors of growth than the individual physiological traits gs and Amax, which explained, on average, 12% and 19% of the growth in height and diameter, respectively. Photosynthetic efficiency-related traits are good predictors of tree growth, and species with high efficiency – such as T. vulgaris, O. pyramidale, T. rhoifolia and C. pentandra – can achieve high growth in Amazonian disturbed areas. The identification of species with better performance during initial establishment can improve the design of mixture plantations in disturbed areas. Additionally, the selection of traits most correlated with growth performance can be more informative for reforestation monitoring; consequently, previous silvicultural interventions can be adopted prior to the reduction in both growth and survival rates. © 2018 Elsevier B.V

Desempenho silvicultural de progênies de Parkia multijuga Benth. no Amazonas três anos após o plantio

Progeny tests are strategies for ex situ genetic conservation and genetic improvement, as they allow the selection of genotypes of better quality and high productivity. However, the tree genetic improvement has not been properly applied to native species of the Amazon region. We investigated if Parkia multijuga progenies have different silvicultural performance and if it is possible to cluster them into different performance classes. The experiment was settled in a complete random block design with 14 progenies, a total of 18 seedlings from each progeny planted in six blocks (252 plants). Three years after planting, the following variables were evaluated: diameter at breast height (DBH), total height, stem height, crown diameter, crown length, crown area, crown ratio, slenderness (S), range index (RI), salience index (SI), bifurcation occurrence, percentage of individuals with rectilinear stem and phytosanitary status. Survival, mean annual increment in height and diameter and the integrated response index (IRI = survival and increments) were also calculated. IRI varied about three times between the best and the worst progeny, of which the progenies 7, 6, 11 and 10 had the highest IRI values. The Principal Component Analysis of the most interesting silvicultural characteristics (IRI, DBH, GE, rectilinear stem, bifurcation, and phytosanitary status) allowed to group progenies 6, 7 and 11 among those with the best silvicultural performance. Most progenies showed intermediate and similar performance, being the worst performance for most traits related to the progeny 2. Progenies of Parkia multijuga diverge as to the silvicultural performance during the initial establishment of the plantations. Therefore, the grouping of progenies with better performance is fundamental in the selection of superior genetic material for the composition of productive plantations of this species in the Amazon region.Os ensaios de progênies constituem estratégias de conservação genética ex situ e também de melhoramento genético, pois permitem selecionar genótipos de melhor qualidade e elevada produtividade. No entanto, o melhoramento genético florestal não tem sido devidamente aplicado para espécies nativas da região Amazônica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar se progênies de Parkia multijuga possuem desempenho silvicultural diferenciado e se é possível agrupá-las em diferentes classes de desempenho. O experimento foi instalado no delineamento de blocos casualizados com 14 progênies, sendo, ao total,18 mudas por cada progênie plantadas em seis blocos (252 plantas). Três anos após o plantio foram avaliados os caracteres: diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP), altura total, altura do fuste, diâmetro da copa, comprimento da copa, área de copa, proporção de copa, grau de esbeltez (GE), índice de abrangência (IA), índice de saliência (IS), ocorrência de bifurcação, percentual de indivíduos com fuste retilíneo e o estado fitossanitário. Foram também calculados: a sobrevivência, o incremento médio anual em altura e diâmetro e o índice de resposta integrada (IRI = sobrevivência e incrementos). O IRI variou cerca de três vezes entre a melhor e a pior progênie, da qual as progênies 7, 6, 11 e 10 tiveram os maiores valores de IRI. Uma análise de componentes principais com as características silviculturais de maior interesse (IRI, DAP, GE, fuste retilíneo, bifurcação e estado fitossanitário) permitiu agrupar as progênies 6, 7 e 11 entre aquelas com melhor desempenho silvicultural. A maior parte das progênies apresentou desempenho intermediário e semelhante entre si, sendo o pior desempenho para a maioria das características relacionado à progênie 2. Progênies de Parkia multijuga divergem quanto ao desempenho silvicultural durante o estabelecimento inicial dos plantios. Logo, o agrupamento das progênies com melhores desempenhos é fundamental na seleção de materiais genéticos superiores para a composição de plantios de produção desta espécie na região Amazônica