EVALUATION OF THE RESILIENCE OF EUCALYPTUS GRANDIS TREES UNDER SEVERE WATER STRESS CONDITIONS

Abstract

The existing eucalyptus plantations and those foreseen in expansion programs include regions of the country with limit values of water and with a high risk of severe drought, constituting a factor crucial for the sustainability of plantations. The research project analyzes an experiment with treatments of 80% reduction of precipitation for 3 years and the evaluation of the responses of Eucalyptus grandis trees to water deficit. The analyzes foresee the evaluation of the basal area, radius, circumference and total height of the trunk of trees subjected to water stress compared to the control treatment. In the same way, samples of the trunk wood will be collected of eucalyptus trees - by destructive and non-destructive methods - to evaluate the profiles of microdensity by X-ray densitometry and changes in macro and anatomical anatomical structure microscopic view of wood. Differences in basal area, radius and circumference of the throne and the rate of total tree height growth will be compared in the 2 treatments. The profiles of microdensity and anatomical characteristics of the wood - with emphasis on vascular systems (hydraulic), support and wood storage will be analyzed on an intra and interannual and related to the growth in diameter and height of the trunk of the treatments witness and rainfall exclusion.