Evaluation of the throughfall and stemflow nutrient contents in mixed and pure plantations of Acacia mangium, Pseudosamenea guachapele and Eucalyptus grandis

Fabiano De Carvalho Balieiro,Renildes Lúcio Ferreira Fontes,Avílio Antônio Franco,Eduardo Francia Carneiro Campello,Sérgio Miana De Faria,Luiz Eduardo Dias

doi:10.1590/s0100-67622007000200017

Fabiano De Carvalho Balieiro, Renildes Lúcio Ferreira Fontes + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-67622007000200017

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Abstract

The interception of the rainfall by the forest canopy has great relevance to the nutrient geochemistry cycle in low fertility tropical soils under native or cultivated forests. However, little is known about the modification of the rainfall water quality and hydrological balance after interception by the canopies of eucalyptus under pure and mixed plantations with leguminous species, in Brazil. Samples of rainfall (RF), throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) were collected and analyzed in pure plantations of mangium (nitrogen fixing tree -NFT), guachapele (NFT) and eucalyptus (non-nitrogen fixing tree -NNFT) and in a mixed stand of guachapele and eucalyptus in Seropédica, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nine stemflow collectors (in selected trees) and nine pluviometers were randomly disposed under each stand and three pluviometers were used to measure the incident rainfall during 5.5 months. Mangium conveyed 33.4% of the total rainfall for its stem. An estimative based on corrections for the average annual precipitation (1213 mm) indicated that the rainfall's contribution to the nutrient input (kg ha-1) was about 8.42; 0.95; 19.04; 6.74; 4.72 and 8.71 kg ha-1 of N-NH4+, P, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2 and Na+, respectively. Throughfall provided the largest contributions compared to the stemflow nutrient input. The largest inputs of N-NH4+ (15.03 kg ha-1) and K+ (179.43 kg ha-1) were observed under the guachapele crown. Large amounts of Na+ denote a high influence of the sea. Mangium was the most adapted species to water competitiveness. Comparatively to pure stand of eucalyptus, the mixed plantation intensifies the N, Ca and Mg leaching by the canopy, while the inputs of K and P were lower under these plantations.

Highlights

N input through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and through the litterfall, decomposing roots and nodules or rhizodeposition from leguminous plants may result in significant economic and ecological advantages in the implementation of mixed forests
Recent results showed that intercropping of eucalyptus with tree legumes is not detrimental to timber yield but potentially advantageous to increasing soil N availability for eucalyptus and C stocks (BINKLEY et al, 1992; RESH, 2002; BALIEIRO et al, 2002; FORRESTER et al, 2006)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of rainfall water as a source of nutrients after interception by the canopies of pure stands of Acacia mangium Willd., Pseudosamanea guachapele (Kunth) Harms and Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and a mixed stand of P. guachapele and E. grandis

Summary

Introduction

N input through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and through the litterfall, decomposing roots and nodules or rhizodeposition from leguminous plants may result in significant economic and ecological advantages in the implementation of mixed forests. The interception, besides involving evaporative losses and consumption of water from shoots, is responsible for changes in the quality of the water that reaches the soil These alterations are mainly a result of two factors: the washing of the elements deposited on the foliage (dry deposition as dust) and due to changes that occur directly in the tree canopy through nutrient leaching from shoots and/or by the direct nutrient uptake by the leaves (uptake by stomata or hydrophilic pores within the cuticle) (KRAMER and BOYER, 1995; MARSHNER, 1995). Several factors such as canopy architecture , leaf area index, density and structure of plantation, rainfall intensity and raindrop size can be responsible for differences in the magnitude of this interaction “rainfallforest” (OPAKUNLE, 1989; LEITE et al, 1999; CALDER, 1998; ARCOVA et al, 2003), whereas geographical location (ANDRADE et al, 1995; LACLAU et al, 2003), proximity to industrial zones, urban centers or marine areas (GOLLEY et al, 1978; LACLAU et al, 2003) and burning occurrence (LIMA, 1979) are the others related to water composition

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