Variabilidade espacial do diâmetro a altura do peito do eucalipto e das frações granulométricas do solo utilizando análise multivariada e geoestatística

Abstract

Eucalyptus is the most cultivated genus in Brazilian planted forests; the success of these forest plantations is directly related to the soil’s characteristics. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the granulometric fractions of a Red Yellow Latosol and the development of eucalyptus after three years of cultivation under the techniques of multivariate and geostatistical analysis. Soil sampling was conducted in an area of 10.02 hectares, with a total of 94 georeferenced points, placed 33x33 meters apart from each other; full clay and sand fractions in the depths were respectively 0- 0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m. Later, three years after the eucalyptus planting, the Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of five trees was measured in each sample point – this generated a mean value for each georeferenced point, and they were all subjected to special variability analysis. The granulometric fractions were subjected to the analysis of main components and geostatistical analysis. The data showed normal distribution through Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, an average coefficient of variation for soil fractions, and low coefficient of variation for DBH. The first main component is related to 77.17% of the data variance, with positive correlation with clay and total sand. We adjusted the spherical model for DBH, and found strong special dependence, with a range of 66 meters. The use of cross semivariogram for the DBH and the main component allowed higher special continuity, with a range of 168 m. The soil fractions were adjusted to the spherical model and presented strong special dependency, except for the clay fraction in the depth of 0.20-0.40 m, which presented moderate degree of special dependence. The eucalyptus presented higher growth on DBH in areas with smaller altitude quotas and higher levels of total sand.