dendroecology of a 25 years old cryptomeria japonica (l. f.) don. stand in southern brazil

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509814579

Cryptomeria japonica is indigenous to the temperate region of Japan, where it is known as ‘sugi’. In Brazil, the plantation of this species is recommended for the highlands and cold regions in the southern, where it is well adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between meteorological variables and growth of a 25 years old Cryptomeria japonica stand. Cross-sectional discs from 30 different trees were collected, within all diametric classes. After dried and sanded, annual rings were measured and correlated with meteorological data by dendrochronological analysis tools. The growth series showed an intercorrelation of 0.668. The radial growth of the species was positively influenced by the minimum temperature of September and by the medium temperature of May. There was no correlation between growth and precipitation, although peaks of growth were observed in years with high precipitation.