ANNUAL INCREMENT VARIATION ALONG STEM OF Pinus taeda L. IN DIFFERENT AGES AND POPULATION DENSITIES

Abstract

The variation of the annual growth in different heights of the stem of Pinus taeda L. was studied through the stem analysis, accomplished in dominant and medium stratum trees. Cross sections were collected along the stem from 9 sample trees on the base, breast height diameter (BHD) and after these positions, at every meter. The sampling was constituted of 4 trees coming from Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, in a 17-years-old stand, submitted to one thinning, and 6 trees from Ponte Alta do Norte, Santa Catarina, in a 34-years-old stand, submitted to five thinnings. The results, expressed in percentage of the basal area increment in several positions of the tree height, showed strong variation in the annual deposition of wood along the stem in function of the populational density, characterizing the effects of the competition and of the thinning liberation. Trees subjected to the competition showed larger growth on top parts of the stem, while trees under smaller competition presented larger growth on lower positions, easily identified by the form and inclination of the increment curves.