The rehabilitation and use of areas affected by salt excess require to evaluate how plant species respond to salinity. The objective of this work was to evaluate increasing NaCl concentrations on stem and root biometric characteristics of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. tereticornis, E. pellita and E. robusta seedlings. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse using containers with 11.5 L of sand irrigated with nutrient solution. The experiment was arranged in a complete randomized and factorial design with the four species and increasing levels of NaCl (1.41; 2.50; 4.50; 6.45; e 8.33 dS.m-1), with five replications. The evaluated biometric characteristics were dry mass, length and diameter of the stems and root systems of the seedlings. The increase in salt level up to 8.33 dS.m-1 electric conductivity did not impair the initial growth of E. tereticornis seedlings but decreased dry mass of thick roots. Increasing salt levels reduced growth of E. camaldulensis, E. pellita and E. robusta seedlings. In the initial growth phase, seedlings of E. tereticornis showed resistance to salinity up to 8.33 dS.m-1. Length and root areas of the four studied species showed no response to increasing salt levels.
NaCl; root system; electric conductivity
