GROWTH OF ATLANTIC FOREST TREES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON TOPSOIL FERTILITY IN THE SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

Abstract

The aim of the our study was to evaluate the dendrometric characteristics of Atlantic Forest trees of 21 years of deployment in mountain region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and their influence on topsoil fertility. We evaluated the survival, total height and diameter at 1.30 m of all trees of the stand. The characterized soil chemical attributes were: pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and organic matter, at 0-0.1 m depth. The averages were compared by Student’s test (p<0.05). Myroxylon peruiferum and Amburana cearensis had lower survival rate than the other species and Plathymenia reticulata had a larger diameter. All trees species showed diameter growth; it was larger for Dalbergia nigra, Plathymenia reticulata, Schizolobium parahyba, Esenbeckia leiocarpa, and Lecythis Pisonis. All stands showed medium contents of organic matter, from 3.3 to 4.1%, and low P. The soils under Dalbergia nigra and Plathymenia reticulata stands had the highest acidity and low Ca, Mg and K . The species influenced the soil chemical characteristics differently. Our study demonstrated differences in growth patterns and that the species influenced the soil chemical characteristics differently.