Diameter increment and growth patterns for individual tree growing in Central Amazon, Brazil

Information on diameter increment and growth patterns for individual trees are important tools for forest management primarily to: (i) select tree species for logging; (ii) selecting tree species for protection; (iii) estimate cutting cycles and (iv) to prescribe silvicultural treatments. Most growth and yield studies in tropical moist forests have emphasized only the stand level instead of individual trees. This study dealt with the analysis of individual growth patterns for 272 trees distributed over two transects (East-West and North-South) measuring 20 m x 2500 m, which were stratified by plateau, slope and baixio (lowland areas near small streams), and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) classes (10 cm less than or equal to DBH < 30 cm, 30 cm less than or equal to DBH < 50 cm and DBH greater than or equal to 50 cm). For each tree, a metal dendrometer band was fixed to the trunk and growth in circumference was measured with digital calipers. Measurements were carried out for 19 months, from June 1999 to December 2000; for this study, only 12 months of year 2000 were considered. Individual growth pattern varied significantly over time (P = 0.00), and slightly (P = 0.08) when the interaction months and DBH classes was included; on the other hand, the signal was very weak (P = 0.25) when topographical classes were added to the later interaction, and no signal at all (P = 0.89) when the interaction between months, diameter and topographical classes were analyzed. Mean annual diameter increment considering all 272 monitored trees was 1.64 +/- 0.21 mm per year (95% CI), falling within the range estimated for the Brazilian Amazon region (1.4-2 mm per year). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.