Dendrochronology, increment and forest management in Araucaria forest, Santa Catarina state

Abstract

Sustainable management is of extreme importance for future preservation, multiple use, profitable production and enhancement of Araucaria Forest in southern Brazil. Thus, with the width measures of the increment rings, it is possible to adjust the growth of species over time, to obtain the cutting cycle, plan the production and manage the species. The objectives of this study were to study the increase in diameter to Araucaria, model the growth on the size and correlate the increase in competition indices to promote the sustainable management of the species. Therefore, the forest was inventoried using systematic sampling process, with 25 plots of 400m² and collected the dendrometric information, morphometric and increase with use of dendrochronology of 121 trees distributed in three diameter classes. The species showed diameter increment variable with age and negative correlation with the competition indices. The temporal structure in diameter based on the dynamics of its annual average increment showed an increase of 74.42 % in the number of individuals in commercial classes for a period of 25 years. The species showed an average increment in diameter of 0.708 cm.ano-1and a viable cut rate of 36.59 m³.ha-1for one cycle between cuts of 25 years.