NUTRIENT ALLOCATION IN Eucalyptus saligna Sm. STANDS IN THE REGION OF GUAÍBA - RIO GRANDE DO SUL

ABSTRACT

This research conducted in Eucalyptus saligna Sm. stands, between 2 and 7 years of age, in the region of Guaíba - RS, had as objective: to estimate the nutrients stock in the biomass. On the basis of the forest inventory, trees of medium diameter were collected and fractionated in leaf, branch, bark, wood and root. The accumulated litter was evaluated with sampling units of 1 m². Samples of arboreal components and litter were collected to estimate the dry matter and nutritional content. Nutrients stock was obtained through the product between the average biomass of each component and the average concentration of nutrients. For the average of stands, the stock of nutrients showed the following order of accumulation, for biomass components: wood > root > leaf > bark > branch; and for nutrients: Ca > N > K > Mg > P.

Keywords: Forestry nutrition; Nutrient cycling; Nutritional sustainability