RESUMO
Roots play a fundamental role in forest ecosystems, but obtaining samples from deep layers remains a challenging process due to the methodological and financial efforts required. In our quest to understand the dynamics of Eucalyptus roots, we raise three fundamental questions. First, we inquire about the average extent of the roots of two contrasting Eucalyptus genotypes. Next, we explore the factors that directly influence the growth and depth of these roots, addressing elements such as soil type, climate, and water availability. Lastly, we investigate how the variation in Eucalyptus species may impact root growth patterns, biomass, and carbon stock. In this study, we observed that the maximum root depth increased by an average of 20% when genotypes were grown on sites with higher water availability (wet site). E. urophylla stands had a higher biomass and carbon stock (5.7 Mg C ha-1) of fine roots when cultivated on dry sites (annual rainfall~727 mm) than the wet sites (annual rainfall~1590 mm). In E. grandis × E. camaldulensis stands, no significant differences were observed in the stock of fine root biomass (3.2 Mg C ha-1) between the studied environments. Our results demonstrated that genotypes with greater drought tolerance (E. grandis × E. camaldulensis) tend to maintain higher stocks of fine root biomass (3.2-6.3 Mg ha-1) compared to those classified as plastic (E. urophylla), regardless of the edaphoclimatic conditions of the cultivation site. Finally, our research helps understand how Eucalyptus trees adapt to their environment, aiding sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation. We also provide a practical tool to estimate underground biomass, assisting forest managers and policymakers in ensuring long-term forest sustainability.
RESUMO
Os objetivos deste estudo foram ajustar e selecionar funções de densidade probabilística que caracterizem a estrutura diamétrica desse fragmento e das espécies: Cedrela fissilis (Cedro), Luehea divaricata (Açoita Cavalo), Gochnatia polymorpha (Cambará), Sebastiania commersoniana (Branquilho) e Casearia sylvestris (Cafezeiro) de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista com 15,24ha, localizado em Curitiba, Paraná. Para avaliar a distribuição diamétrica dessa floresta e das cinco espécies selecionadas, foram ajustadas sete funções probabilísticas para intervalos de classe de 5cm. Segundo os critérios de seleção adotados, o modelo que melhor representou a distribuição diamétrica para toda a floresta, o cedro, o cambará e o branquilho foi o de Weber; para o cafezeiro, a função Gamma (Adaptada) foi a mais eficiente e para o açoita cavalo nenhuma dessas funções foi aderente. O branquilho, o açoita cavalo, o cafezeiro e a floresta como um todo apresentaram distribuição em "J" invertido ou decrescente. Entretanto, o cedro e o cambará apresentaram distribuição tendendo à unimodalidade com forte assimetria à direita.
The objective of this study was to adjust and select probability density functions that characterize the diametric structure of this forest fragment and for the species: Cedrela fissilis, Luehea divaricata, Gochnatia polymorpha, Sebastiania commersoniana and Casearia sylvestris for a 15.24 hectare fragment of Mixed Ombrophylous Forest, located in Curitiba, State of Paraná. In order to evaluate the diametric distributions of this forest and the five selected species, seven probability functions were adjusted for 5cm class intervals. According to the criteria of selection adopted, the model that best represented the diametric distributions for the whole forest, Cedrela fissilis, Gochnatia polymorpha and Sebastiania commersoniana was the Weber model; for Casearia sylvestris, the Gamma function (adapted) was the most efficient, and for Luehea divaricata, none of these functions showed adherence. The Sebastiania commersoniana, Luehea divaricata, Casearia sylvestris and the forest as a whole showed inverted "J" or decreasing distribution, while, Cedrela fissilis and Gochnatia polymorpha showed an almost unimodal distribution with a strong asymmetry to the right.
