Vegetative Propagation of Brazilian Native Species for Restoration of Degraded Areas

ABSTRACT

Vegetative propagation by live cuttings is an alternative to reproduce native plants with the potential to be used in restoration of riparian forests and degraded areas. This propagation capacity is intrinsic to each species and is influenced by several factors, particularly the time of the year when cuttings are collected. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of the season of the year on the vegetative propagation of live cuttings for the species Allamanda cathartica, Cephalanthus glabratus, Escallonia bifida, Ludwigia elegans, Sambucus australis, Sesbania virgata and Terminalia australis . The experiment was conducted at the Soil Bioengineering Laboratory of the Federal University of Santa Maria during two periods of the year (autumn/winter and late winter/spring). All species presented vegetative propagation capacity ranging from 23.3% to 100%, and the species generally showed better results in late winter/spring.

Keywords:
ecological restoration; soil bioengineering; live cuttings; biotechnical properties