Growth analysis of five Leguminosae native tree species from a seasonal semidecidual lowland forest in Brazil

Abstract

The Leguminosae family is one of the most representative families in the seasonal semidecidual lowland forest, and many of their species have economical and ecological importance, including for the recovery of degraded areas. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the biology of native species for forest restoration. Tree growth dynamics features, such as increment rates, life expectancy and tree responses to environmental variations can be assessed through tree-ring studies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the growth features of Copaifera langsdorffii, Dalbergia nigra, Pterocarpus rohrii, Schizolobium parahyba and Senna multijuga trees in a known age experimental plantation. The study site was located in Espírito Santo State, southeastern Brazil. Stem discs were obtained for anatomical characterization of tree-rings. Wood samples were sectioned and processed following the usual plant anatomy techniques. For macroscopic analysis, samples were polished and analyzed under a stereoscopic microscope. All species showed distinct growth rings with annual periodicity formation. Growth rates, tree size measurements and growth trajectories were established for each species. These features varied even among trees of the same age and species growing under homogeneous conditions. It is noteworthy that growth variation was not related to the species’ ecological group. These data are important to characterize growth behavior of native species in order to subsidize species selection for recovery of degraded areas and economical purposes.