CARBON CONCENTRATION IN SPECIES OF THE ARAUCARIA FOREST AND EFFECT OF THE ECOLOGICAL GROUP

Abstract

This study was conducted in Boa Ventura do São Roque, Paraná State, Brazil, aiming to evaluate the carbon concentration in components of 12 arboreal species from the Araucaria Forest, as well as the performance of the 0.5 conversion factor and the influence of trees ecological groups in their carbon concentration. Carbon concentration averages were obtained from the tree components, and compared among them, among the species and the conversion factor, to assess the interspecific differences and the reliability of the conversion factor. To analyze the influence of ecological groups over the carbon concentration of the species, cluster analyzes were performed. It was not found significant difference among the carbon concentration in the components of the trees. However, comparing the 12 species, Luehea divaricata, Albizia polycephala and Cestrum sp. differed significantly, presenting lower carbon concentration. Comparison between carbon concentration average of the species and the 0.5 conversion factor indicated that the latter overestimates the carbon concentration in the trees at an average rate of 14.27%. No correlation was found between the ecological groups of the species and their carbon concentration, since groups were formed by species with distinct ecological traits.