VOLUME EQUATIONS FOR THE SAVANNAH (CERRADO), IN MINAS GERAIS STATE

Abstract

In this work, the physiognomy Savannah (Cerrado), present in three regions of the São Francisco River Basin, in Minas Gerais State, was studied with the following objectives: to adjust and to select equations to estimate total volume and stem volume; to test the similarity among volumetric models; to show the behavior of the volume in the stem and branches of the tree, and to evaluate the bark percentage in each diametric class. For this, the rigorous scaling using the method of Huber was accomplished, in which the data base was composed by 497 trees, distributed in six diameter classes, inside the three study areas. The bark thickness at the heights of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the commercial height was measured. The accuracy of the models was evaluated by the determination coefficient, standard error of estimate and graphic analysis of the residuals. To test model identity, the method used was the one developed by Graybill (1976). The models selected for all the tested variables were the ones of Schumacher and Hall and of Spurr, transformed in logarithm. According to the identity test of models, for all the tested variables, similarity exists among the areas 2 and 3. Regarding to the behavior of volume, it was observed that the smallest diametric classes possess larger stem volume than the branches and that there is also a tendency of decreasing the bark percentage with the increase of the diametric class for the three studied areas.