Biomass and carbon in Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum stands under different spacing

Abstract

Native species planted in areas previously occupied by degraded pasture can play an important role in biomass supply and atmospheric carbon sequestration. Evaluating the performance of native species in different planting spacings becomes important for forestry and the management of new species with economic potential. Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum is a non-traditional species in the southeastern region of Brazil and it was established in pasture areas to evaluate growth, biomass, and carbon stock. Five planting spacings (3 m x 2 m, 3 m x 3 m, 4 m x 3 m, 4 m x 4 m, and 5 m x 5 m, in monoculture) were tested in 9 experimental plots. The biomass of the shoot and root, as well as the carbon content, were obtained by the direct method. The biomass varied 31.4 and 52.9 kg tree-1 in the spacing 3 m x 2 m and 5 m x 5 m, respectively. The greater carbon stock was observed in the lower spacing (19.43 Mg ha-1), 50% higher than in the larger spacing. The spacing did not influence the biomass and carbon stock in the roots per unit area. The performance of the species should be monitored at advanced ages given the different responses to planting spacing and competition between plants.