Ground level photosynthetically active radiation dynamics in stands of Acacia mearnsii De Wild.

The objective is to study the dynamics of photosynthetic radiation reaching the soil surface in stands of Acacia mearnsii De Wild and its influence on height growth in stands. This fact gives rise to the formulation of the following hypothesis for this study: "The reduction of the incidence of light inside the stand of black wattle will cause the inflection point in its height growth when this reaches 4 to 5 m in height, i.e. when the stand is between 2 and 3 years of age". The study was conducted in stands in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where diameters at breast height, total height and photosynthetically active radiation available at ground level were measured. The frequency tended to be more intense when the age of the stands increases. It was evident that a reduction of light incidence inside the forest occurred, caused by canopy closure. Consequently, closed canopy propitiated the competition of plants. This has affected the conditions for growth in diameter and height of this species, reason why it becomes possible to conceive the occurrence of an inflection point in the growth of these two variables, confirming the formulated hypothesis.

Resistência de espécies arbóreas submetidas a extremos climáticos de geada em diferentes sistemas agroflorestais / Resistance of arboreal species submitted to extreme frost in different agroforestry systems

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a resposta das espécies arbóreas Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake (guapuruvu), Mimosa scabrella Benth. (bracatinga), Peltophorum dubium (Spr.) Taubert (canafístula), Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan (angico-vermelho) e o híbrido Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake x Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden (eucalipto) em consórcio com a cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) em dois arranjos de sistemas agroflorestais (faixa - 3x3m + 12m e linha - 6x1,5m) submetidos a extremos climáticos de geada, na região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Os danos (resistência á geada) foram avaliados segundo o sistema de notas utilizado por HIGA et al. (2000) no qual atribuiu-se uma nota de 0 a 10 conforme a intensidade do dano na planta. Para os graus de resistência à geada, adaptou-se metodologia utilizada por CARVALHO (1981), a qual também é em função da intensidade do dano na planta. Diante da condição de geada estudada, observa-se que os diferentes arranjos de sistemas agroflorestais afetam a resistência da espécie guapuruvu, sendo sensível no sistema agroflorestal faixa e moderadamente tolerante no sistema linha. Em ambos os sistemas, as espécies angico-vermelho, bracatinga e eucalipto mostram-se resistentes, enquanto que a canafístula demonstra ser tolerante.

The present research had the aim to evaluate the answers of the arboreal species Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake (guapuruvu), Mimosa scabrella Benth. (bracatinga), Peltophorum dubium (Spr.) Taubert (canafístula), Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan (angico-vermelho) and the hybrid Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake x Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden (eucalipto) in consortium with sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) in two agroforestry arrangement systems (strip - 3x3m + 12m and line - 6x1,5m) submitted to climatic extreme frost conditions, in the Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul. The damages (resistance to frost) were appraised according to the system of notes used by HIGA et al. (2000) in which a note from 0 to 10 was attributed according to the intensity of the damage to the plant. For the resistance degrees to frost, it was adapted the methodology used by CARVALHO (1981), which is also in function of the intensity of the damage to the plant. Upon the frost condition studied, it was observed that the results demonstrated that different of agroforest system arrangements damaged the resistance of the guapuruvu specie, being sensitive in the agroforest system strip and moderatelly tolerant in the system line. In both systems, the species angico-vermelho, bracatinga e eucalipto showed resistance, while the canafístula demonstrated to be tolerant.