WOOD AND CHARCOAL ANATOMY OF FOUR MYRTACEAE SPECIES

ABSTRACT

Qualitative and quantitative changes in anatomical characteristics of charcoal from Campomanesia xanthocarpa, Eugenia pyriformis, Myrcia retorta and Plinia peruviana were described to provide its correct discrimination and information’s to contribute to evaluations in illegal logging. The material came from Planalto Catarinense region, southern Brazil. For each species, three discs at diameter at breast height were collected from three randomly selected trees. All the disks were sectioned to obtain samples in different positions of the trunk (bark, intermediate and pith). Samples were wrapped in aluminum foil and carbonized in a muffle furnace, with a final temperature of 450 °C and a heating rate of 1.66 °C.min^-1. In species analyzed, growth rings are few distinct, delimitated by fiber regions; solitary vessel and axial parenchyma diffuse or diffuse-in-aggregate is predominant. The wood to charcoal conversion caused variation in the following characteristics: vessel diameters decreased varying from 21.1% in Myrcia retorta to 33.4% in Eugenia pyriformis, while the vessel frequency increased with values from 50.7% to 92.3% related to the same species; height and width of the rays showed reduction, however, Myrcia retorta presented ruptures in ray cells and dimensions increased; ray frequency increased from 3.9% in Eugenia pyriformis to 54.1% in Campomanesia xantocharpa. Qualitative characteristics of wood from studied species remained in charcoal after carbonization at 450 ºC, being possible to discriminate the material based on wood anatomy. In charcoal, vessels dimensions and frequency, after ray characteristics can be applied as first step in this Myrtaceae species distinction at forest control.

Keywords:
Anatomical discrimination; Carbonization process; Native species