Dynamics of soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m throughout the entire rotation in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

Although highly weathered soils cover considerable areas in tropical regions, little is known about exploration by roots in deep soil layers. Intensively managed Eucalyptus plantations are simple forest ecosystems that can provide an insight into the belowground growth strategy of fast-growing tropical trees. Fast exploration of deep soil layers by eucalypt fine roots may contribute to achieving a gross primary production that is among the highest in the world for forests. Soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m was studied throughout the complete cycle in Eucalyptus grandis plantations managed in short rotation. Intersects of fine roots, less than 1 mm in diameter, and medium-sized roots, 1-3 mm in diameter, were counted on trench walls in a chronosequence of 1-, 2-, 3.5-, and 6-year-old plantations on a sandy soil, as well as in an adjacent 6-year-old stand growing in a clayey soil. Two soil profiles were studied down to a depth of 10 m in each stand (down to 6 m at ages 1 and 2 years) and 4 soil profiles down to 1.5-3.0 m deep. The root intersects were counted on 224 m(2) of trench walls in 15 pits. Monitoring the soil water content showed that, after clear cutting, almost all the available water stored down to a depth of 7 m was taken up by tree roots within 1.1 year of planting. The soil space was explored intensively by fine roots down to a depth of 3 m from 1 year after planting, with an increase in anisotropy in the upper layers throughout the rotation. About 60% of fine root intersects were found at a depth of more than 1 m, irrespective of stand age. The root distribution was isotropic in deep soil layers and kriged maps showed fine root clumping. A considerable volume of soil was explored by fine roots in eucalypt plantations on deep tropical soils, which might prevent water and nutrient losses by deep drainage after canopy closure and contribute to maximizing resource uses.

Effects of potassium and sodium supply on drought-adaptive mechanisms in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Atlantic rainforest remnant harbors greater biotic diversity but reduced lepidopteran populations compared to a eucalyptus plantation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Biodegradation of eucalyptus urograndis wood by fungi

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Substrates and controlled-release fertilizations on the quality of eucalyptus cuttings

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genetic variability in progenies of Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden for resistance to Puccinia psidii

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Physiological changes in eucalyptus hybrids under different irrigation regimes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Early selection in open-pollinated Eucalyptus families based on competition covariates

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The Influence of Municipal Treated Wastewater on Morpho-Physiological Characteristics of Eucalyptus Plants

The effects of municipal-treated wastewater on growth and gas exchange characteristics were studied in eucalyptus plants cultivated in a greenhouse under continuous sub irrigation with 70 % Long Ashton solution as a control, 100 % treated wastewater, and treated wastewater diluted 50 % with tap water. Irrigation with wastewater resulted in a reduction of total dry matter per plant and the shoot-to-root ratio and increased specific leaf mass, irrespective of the dilution. The gas exchange characteristics were adversely affected by the irrigation with wastewater, with photosynthetic rates been negatively affected. Total chlorophyll and carotenoids content were reduced in plants grown under treated wastewater. The results demonstrated that when the eucalyptus plants were grown under treated wastewater as the only source of mineral nutrients they were able to produce nearly 50 % of the dry matter produced by the plants grown under appropriate mineral nutrient supply, irrespective of the dilution. Therefore, the contribution of mineral nutrients and organic matter from the treated wastewater used as agricultural irrigation will be significant in lower the fertilizer rates without reducing dry matter production per plant.

Metabolic profiling by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and parallel factor analysis for the determination of disease biomarkers in Eucalyptus

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of litter manipulation in a tropical Eucalyptus plantation on leaching of mineral nutrients, dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon

Although many studies have shown that soil solution chemistry can be a reliable indicator of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems, the effects of litter manipulations on the fluxes of dissolved elements in gravitational soil solutions have rarely been investigated. We estimated the fluxes of NH4-N, NO3-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) over the first two years after re-planting Eucalyptus trees in the coastal area of Congo. Two treatments were replicated in two blocks after clear-cutting 7-year-old stands: in treatment R, all the litter above the mineral soil was removed before planting, and in a double slash (DS) treatment, the amount of harvest residues was doubled. The soil solutions were sampled down to a depth of 4 m and the water fluxes were estimated using the Hydrus 1D model parameterized from soil moisture measurements in 4 plots. Isotopic and spectroscopic analytical techniques were used to assess the changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties throughout the transfer in the soil. The first year after planting, the fluxes of NH4-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl and DOC in the topsoil of the DS treatment were 2-5 times higher than in R, which showed that litter was a major source of dissolved nutrients. Nutrient fluxes in gravitational solutions decreased sharply in the second year after planting, irrespective of the soil depth, as a result of intense nutrient uptake by Eucalyptus trees. Losses of dissolved nutrients were noticeably low in these Eucalyptus plantations despite a low cation exchange capacity, a coarse soil texture and large amounts of harvest residues left on-site at the clear cut in the DS treatment. All together, these results clarified the strong effect of litter manipulation observed on eucalypt growth in Congolese sandy soils. DOM fluxes, as well as changes in delta C-13, C:N and aromaticity of DOM throughout the soil profile showed that the organic compounds produced in the litter layer were mainly consumed by microorganisms or retained in the topsoil. Below a depth of 15 cm, most of the DOC and the DON originated from the first 2 cm of the soil and the exchanges between soil solutions and soil organic matter were low. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lignin chemistry and topochemistry during kraft delignification of Eucalyptus globulus genotypes with contrasting pulpwood characteristics

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conversion between basic density and apparent density at any moisture content in Eucalyptus grandis

Wood basic density (BD) is related to other wood characteristics and its determination is important in forest inventory, though BD must be differentiated from the apparent density (AD), which relates to the moisture content (MC) of wood. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a reliable conversion from BD to AD for any MC of Eucalyptus grandis wood based on two exponential and linear models that relate volumetric shrinkage to MC. To this end, wood specimens were submitted to drying and the volumetric shrinkage was determined as a function of MC. The two models proved to be efficient in the conversion of BD to AD and vice versa.

Production and Use of Heteroptera Predators for the Biological Control of Eucalyptus Pests in Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Classification of Eucalyptus urograndis hybrids under different water availability based on biometric traits

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)