Comportamento de Paubrasilia echinata (Lam.) Gagnon, H. C. Lima & G. P. Lewis (pau-brasil) em plantios homogêneos experimentais no Nordeste do Brasil

ABSTRACT: In the 1960s, small experimental plots of native and exotic forest species were installed in various parts of the country, including Paubrasilia echinata, in order to evaluate their behavior under homogeneous planting conditions and years later a large number of these plots were left without maintenance and were abandoned. Thus, the objective of this work was to retrieve silvicultural information about the plantations and to present results of behavior in experimental homogeneous plantations carried out in the coastal zone of the Northeast Region, specifically in the municipalities of Camaragibe-PE, Lagoa de Itaenga-PE, Sao Lourenco da Mata- PE, Nisia Floresta-RN and Maceio-AL. The trees located in the center of each plantation were measured, and the following variables were collected: circumference at the base (CB), circumference at breast height (CBH) and total height. The volume was estimated using the form factor 0.5. Higher growth was observed in Maceio-AL, with MAI (medium annual increment) estimated 9.396 m³.ha-¹.year-1 with 36 years old, where the site presents higher natural fertility. Lower values ​​of MAI were observed in NisiaFloresta-RN, 1.336 m³.ha-¹.year-1 with 41 years old and Camaragibe-PE, 1.956 m³.ha-¹.year-1 with 24 years old. Although the growth of the species is considered slow, it was observed that the average increment in height and diameter of homogeneous plantings evaluated was higher than the quantified of several species of the Amazon Forest and even of the Atlantic Forest. KEYWORD: Forest species. Silviculture. Atlantic Forest.