RCAAP Repository

The objective of this work was to analyze whether remnants of shrub wooded Caatinga with different floristic composition present phytoecological similarities. The study was carried out in two areas: in Seridó Potiguar (Barrentas) and in Cariri Paraibano (Passagem Rasa). We used ramdomly located sample plots for adult tree and regenerating. Forest individuals were measured, and the composition and floristic diversity were analyzed. We found 1,418 individuals in the adult trees stratum distributed into five families, 11 genres and 11 forest species with a density of 5,300 stem ha-1 in Barrentas and 1,565 individuals distributed into 10 families, 20 genres and 26 species with 4,175 stem ha-1 in Passagem Rasa. In natural regeneration we registered 398 individuals, of five families, 10 genres and 12 species in Barrentas and 680 individuals distributed into five families, 10 genres and 11 species in Passagem Rasa. The studied areas presented low floristic and structural similarity , considering the variables density and dominance. In principle, this is due to the greater influence of the edaphoclimatic conditions associated with anthropic factors.

The occurrence of quarantine pest (A2), Sinoxylon unidentatum Fabricius (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) was confirmed and intercepted in Rio de Janeiro port on pallets originated from Indonesia. It was found that methyl bromide was not sufficient to inhibit the action of the insects on the pallets. It is suggested as monitoring measure, the installation of ethanolic traps storage sites and transit of wood.

Forest resources in Mozambique play an important role in the national economy, not only meeting basic needs of local communities, but also to supply the forestry industry and to export. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of probability density functions in the adjustment of the diametric distribution and phytosociological analysis through the horizontal structure of Miombo, Mopane and Mecrusse ecosystems. We adjusted the function Weibull 3P, Gama and Beta functions. The horizontal structure was analysed to verify the species with greater participation in the diametric distribution in the studied ecosystems. Weibull 3P function presented better adherence in all studied ecosystems; Gama and Beta function showed adherence in Miombo and Mopane. The three ecosystems presented different predominant species: in Miombo they were Julbernardia globiflora, Brachystegia spiciformes, Brachystegia boemii, Pterocarpus angolensis and Ptelliopsis myrtifolia; in Mopane Colophospermum mopane, Boscia mossambicensis, Adansonia digitada, Afzelia quansensis and Kirkia acuminata, and in Mecrusse is found only Androstachys johnsonii. Considering the differences observed, it is recommended that forest management considers the particularities of each ecosystem.

This paper aimed to assess the herbicide glyphosate effectiveness in areas dominated by signal grass in forest restoration stands compared to mechanical control. The chemical control consisted in hoeing 1.2 m row, before planting, and when brachiaria achieved medium height of 30 cm applied glyphosate herbicide inter-row in 1,44 kg ha-1. Mechanical control consisted in hoeing 1.2 m row in planting lines and inter-row mowing. Ten different tree species were planted in a 3.2 x 1.7 m spacing. Survival and height growth were evaluated at 6, 12, 18 and 30 months after planting and the collar diameter at 30 months. Implementation and maintenance costs for each treatment were also evaluated at 30 months after planting. Survival rate had little influence from control method. Treatment with glyphosate resulted under all evaluations in superior height growth to all evaluated tree species. The mowing maintenance cost approximately three times the chemical method.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the procedures for introduction of shoots in vitro taken from seedlings kept in nursery. For the disinfestation of the shoots, immersion times (5, 10, 15 and 20 min) in 2.5% sodium hypochlorite were tested. We also analysed the influence of using fungicide before (7 and 15 days) and after the shoots collection, in the concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 g L-1 respectively. In order to control the oxidation of explants in vitro, the addition of poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and activated charcoal to the culture medium, both at concentrations 1 and 2 g L-1, were evaluated. The use of sodium hypochlorite allowed disinfestation of the introduced shoots, but there was no significant difference between the times tested. The collection of shoots 15 days after the application of fungicide in the seedlings suppliers of the shoots, allowed the absence of contamination. The oxidation of the explants reached high levels even in the presence of PVP and activated charcoal in the culture medium.

The objective of this work was to evaluate hygroscopicity modification of Eucalyptus dunnii, E. saligna and Corymbia maculata wood due to termites attack. Using samples measuring 20 x 20 x 150 mm³ (tangential x radial x longitudinal) the equilibrium moisture content (MCE), linear contractions of the tangential and radial planes (βT e βR), contraction anisotropy (CAβ), water absorption (AA) and water absorption rate (TAA) of healthy and deteriorated wood by Nasutitermes termites were evaluated. It was verified that the termite attack caused increase in TUE and reduction in βT. However, βR and CAβ presented different behaviors, varying among the different species. AA and TAA presented higher water absorption intensity in the first hours of immersion, being higher in the control group in comparison with the deteriorated samples. Possibly the variations in the parameters related to the wood hygroscopicity of the studied species are correlated to the increase of porosity and deterioration mainly of cellulose and hemicelluloses, directly affecting the wood’s ability to absorb and lose moisture, compromising the material quality.

Bamboos are fast-growing monocotyledonous considered as environmental regenerators due to their ability to occupy degraded soils, decreasing erosive processes. Bamboos are also largely used as ligno-cellulosic raw material for several purposes. Due to their outstanding importance, the objective of this paper was to study the stem anatomy of different adult bamboo species to better characterize the structural divergences among different groups. Information was collected from literature review on morphological and anatomical characteristics, as fiber classification, parenchymatous cells, sclerenchyma sheaths and vascular bundles (xylem/phloem) of several bamboo species. Bamboo species may be sorted in four groups, considering mainly differences of vascular bundle shape and percentage of fibers.

The eucalypt shoot psyllid, Blastopsylla occidentalis Taylor, 1985 (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), is reported here for the first time from Burundi, Indonesia (Sumatra), Nicaragua, the Philippines and Yemen. The record from Paraguay is shown to be erroneous. New state records are given for the Brazilian states Bahia, Ceará, Piauí and Rio Grande do Sul. Eucalyptus viminalis is listed for the first time as host of B. occidentalis.

This study aimed to evaluate the quality Cenostigma macrophyllum Tul wood for energetic use and to determine the yields and charcoal properties produced at different carbonization temperatures. Discs with 3 cm of thickness were obtained from stem basal positions, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of commercial height. The discs were split in two parts. One was used to determine wood properties and the other was carbonized at final temperatures of 400 ºC, 500 ºC and 600 ºC for bio-reducer evaluation . Basic density (1.2 g cm-3), lignin content (34%), higher calorific value (4,845 cal g-1) and gravimetric yield in charcoal (GYC) at 400 ºC (41.5%) were the highlights. The increase of wood pyrolysis temperature from 400 ºC to 600 ºC resulted in 29.4% increase in fixed carbon content and a reduction of 19% and 63.4%, respectively, in charcoal GYC and volatile matter content. In general, the species presented satisfactory energy production.

We evaluated the productivity and survival of Poincianella pyramidalis, Senegalia bahiensis and Enterolobium contortisiliquum ministumps in different tubes sizes. Completely randomized design (CRD), containing three treatments (tubes of 50, 180, 280 cm³) were carried out with Poicianella pyramidalis, Senegalia bahiensis and Enterolobium contortisiliquum as experiments 1, 2 and 3, respectively. We analyzed ministumps survival after successive collections, number of sprouts per ministump every 15 days and number of minicuttings per ministump after successive collections. When data presented normality variance analysis and Tukey’s test were carried out at 5% probability. It was observed high survival of the ministumps for the three species after successive collections of minicuttings, indicating potential to use this technique. It was also noticed that small volume containers can affect sprout productivity negatively and in consequence the number of minicuttings per ministumps.

Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. is a conifer which produces high-quality wood with potential industrial applications. However, the species shows low germination rates. This study was devoted to optimizing a protocol for shoot multiplication of S. sempervirens through micropropagation. Two genotypes, adapted to southern Brazil, constituted the source of explants for consecutive experiments aiming in vitro multiplication. We used the traditional MS (Murashige & Skoog) culture medium at 50% of its original concentration, supplemented with plant growth regulators under two approaches. For multiplication we combined α-naphtalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzilaminopurine (BAP) at distinct concentrations. In the second experiment, we tested concentrations of three cytokinins types (BAP, kinetin  and 2-isopentheiladenine ). NAA at 0.1 mg L-1 enabled the production of shoots with higher mean length for the main branch. The use of kinetin in low concentrations provided the best performance for shoot multiplication, differing between two genotypes. We outline a recommendation of the most suitable plant growth regulators and their concentration for shoot multiplication of S. sempervirens, which might assist further work aiming at adventitious rooting and acclimatization. 

Despite the socioeconomic importance for the Amazon, knowledge about the factors that influence the production of Brazil nuts is still incipient. In this paper we evaluate the influence of precipitation and soil texture, flood and depth on seed production. The data were collected in native trees monitored in permanent plots of 9 ha (300 m x 300 m) in the municipality of Caracaraí, Roraima State, for five years. We used Pearson correlation to select the precipitation period and we conclude that the precipitation of September was positively correlated with fruit production. The soil variables were evaluated by ANOVA and we observed that higher precipitations in September, month of transition from dry to rainy season, correlated significantly and positively with seed production. Trees in deep soils with clay loam texture showed higher seed production than those in shallow soils.

Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. is a Brazilian native forest species that is used in programs of environmental restoration, landscaping and civil construction. It is a seed-propagated plant, but the low physiological quality of the seeds associated with biotic and abiotic stresses can reduce the percentages of germination and emergence. Techniques that allow the expression of the physiological potential of the seeds can improve germination and vigor in short-term. One of these techniques is seeds osmoconditioning, especially under stressful conditions. This work aimed to study if the osmopriming increases germination and vigor of P. dubium seeds. The study consisted of three stages: I – choice of the ideal osmotic potential for imbibition; II – germination and vigor of the osmoprimed seeds under different water contents; III – osmopriming of four seed lots with different vigor. PEG 6000 solution with -0.6 MPa is recommended for osmoconditioning of P. dubium seeds aiming to improve germination and vigor. Seeds with water content close to 10% for osmoconditioning influences the vigor positively. Osmoconditioning can improve physiological aspects of P dubium seeds with good physiological quality. It can reduce germination-emergence time span, favoring stands with greater uniformity and lower probability of  biotic and abiotic factors influence

The process of botanical identification in commercial forest inventories in Amazon may involve several errors and entail losses to forest management. A common error is the variation of popular names, which have regional peculiarities and can be attributed to several species simultaneously. This study aims to analyze the richness of timber species exploited in the Brazilian Amazon and verify the regional variations of popular names of main species, aiming to identify patterns and cases of fidelity. Information on exploited and potential commercial trees was explored in 10 sustainable forest management plans in different categories and regions of the Brazilian Amazon. The analyzes showed high richness of commercial species, with low similarity among species, indicating local peculiarities for main species. Popular names presented a wide variation, with two distinct tendencies: use of the same popular name for several botanical species and use of several popular names for a single botanical species. Cases of fidelity were detected for popular names of main timber species. However, popular names are strongly related to botanical genera and families, and may vary intensely when the analysis requires identification at species level.

This research was carried out to assess the effect of plant spacing over “tachi-branco”growth, production, biomass allocation and wood energetic quality. The experiment was installed in forest/savanna transition area in the North region of Roraima State, Brazil in a randomized block design and five plant spacing (2 m x 2 m; 2.5 m x 2.5 m; 3 m x 2 m; 3 m x 2.5 m; and 3 m x 3 m). After 70 months trees diametric growth, biomass production and wood energy quality were evaluate. Plant spacing influenced diametric growth, volume and individual trunk biomass, but presented no influence on wood energetic qualities. The larger spacing (3 m x 3 m) was more advantageous due to higher accumulate biomass in the trunk and less plants to be planted lowering implantation costs. However, this species is not recommend in monoculture stands for energetic purposes in the studying area due to the low productivity observed.

The objective of this study was to biometrically characterize fruits and seeds of Astrocasia jacobinensis. We also aimed to evaluate the germination potential according to the fruit color and to determine the optimal temperature for germination tests. Fruits were harvested from 4 matrices trees in the Environmental Protection Area of “Lago de Pedra do Cavalo”, Bahia, State, Brazil. The fruits were used to install two experimental areas. In the first one we evaluated the germinative behavior according to fruit color using four replicates. The second experiment was used to test the optimal germination temperature, with tests conducted under constant temperatures (15, 25, 30, 35 °C) and alternating temperatures (25-30 and 15-30 °C), using four replicates per treatment. Evaluations for both experiments were performed daily. The fruits presented a mean size of 7.5 mm in length and 9.6 mm in diameter. The seeds were circular with a mean diameter of 3.52 mm. Green fruits have seeds with better germination potential. For future germination tests within this species we recommend a temperature within the range 25 °C to 30 °C. 

The aim of this study was to determine the energetic characteristics of the charcoal of five species from wood residues in the municipality of Gurupi, Tocantins State, Brazil, as well as evaluating the influence of final carbonization time and temperature. Twenty test samples were obtained from each of the five species. The charcoal was obtained by wood pyrolysis in a muffle furnace, where two heating speeds with final carbonization temperatures of 450 °C and 500 °C for 6 h and 7 h, respectively, were used. To determine the apparent density and the gravimetric yield, the charcoal was weighed on an analytical scale and measured with a caliper. The immediate chemical analysis (ICA) was carried out. It was used a muffle furnace to determine volatile materials, fixed carbon and ash and the calorific value was calculated. The gravimetric yield presented acceptable average values for all species and temperatures (36.4%). Acceptable values were found for volatile materials (27.7%), fixed carbon (70.6%) and ashes (1.7%). Calorific values were within the recommended standards, presenting high energetic potential. The recommended final temperature of carbonization is 500 °C.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the soil quality in areas of Caatinga under different management systems, with soil physical attributes as parameters. The forms of management adopted were: (1) area of sustainable management of Caatinga; (2) area of conventional management; and (3) native forest area. After 5 years, soil samples were collected in the areas at depths 0.00-0.20 m and 0.20-0.40 m for analysis of soil physical attributes. The results evidenced greater soil compaction in the area of conventional management. The sustainable management of Caatinga proved to be a promising technique for maintaining and recovering the soil physical properties.

This paper deals with the effect of thinning intensities on the wood quality of Pinus elliottii Engelm var. elliottii produced in plantations located in Southern Brazil. The following properties were analized: growth ring width, basic density, late wood percentage, fiber angle, chemical composition, fiber dimensions, shrinkage and static bending strength. The results pointed out that a higher thinning intensity increases basic density, late wood percent, growth ring width, grain angle, as well as tracheid and lumen diameter. Tracheid lenght and shrinkage decreased with increasing thinning intensity. Chemical composition and cell wall thicknesses were not affected. Wood produced in plots where 25% of its basal area was thinned had the higher static bending strength.

This paper presents the results of the adjustment of equations for estimating biomass of aerial compartments of Eucalyptus benthamii trees. The percentile allocation of biomass, in the compartments wood, bark, leaves and branches is also presented. The trees of Eucalyptus benthamii were sampled from stands of 12, 24, 36 and 48 months of age, planted at the spacing 3 m x 2 m, in the region of Guarapuava-PR. For the compartments considered, the generalized logarithmic model gave better indices of adjustment for branches and, together with logarithmic combined variable, the minor error for bark variable. Leaves and wood had minor error with model lnY=b0 +b1*lnDBH and logarithmic combined variable, respectively. The allocation of biomass in the different compartments was differentiated for each age. In the age of 12 months the greater percentile of biomass was in the leaves. However in the age of 48 months, wood had the greater percentage of biomass. The biomass allocation had the following ratios, respectively, for wood, bark, branches and leaves, 33, 3, 29 and 35% for the age of 24 months, 51, 5, 25 and 19% for the age of 24 months, 63, 5, 18 and 14% for the age of 36 months and 71, 7, 15 and 7% for the age of 48 months.