ARTIFICIAL PRUNING OF FOREST TREE SPECIES IN RESPONSE TO CULTIVATION METHOD

This study aimed to quantify the artificial pruning of forest species sabia ( Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.), acacia ( Acacia mangium Willd.) and neem ( Azadirachta indica A. Juss), at 12 months of age, in response to the cultivation method. The experimental design was in randomized block design in a factorial scheme (2x3), corresponding tosix treatments distributed in plots in tracks with four blocks. Being the main factor two methods of cultivation (less intensive - CA and more intensive - CB) and the secondary factor the forest species, totaling six treatments with four replicates each. The growth of each tree was obtained with the measurement of the total height and diameter at breast height. For the quantification of biomass pruned selected is a tree in the surrounds of each parcel with average height and diameter. The pruning was performed until the height equivalent to 40% of the crown height of the tree. The three variables studied (leaf, branch and total) showed significant differences between the types of cultivation and between the species. Only the parameter leaf for the sabia treatment didn’t show differences in relation to the cultivation types. We concluded that the cultivation method and the species types have influency in the total biomass production and consequently in the pruned plant amount.