EDAPHOCLIMATIC APTITUDE TO AFRICAN MAHOGANY IN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT

The African mahogany (Khaya ivorensis A. Chev.) is a tree native from African continent, which has good quality wood and is used in furniture, shipbuilding, doors, among others. This work aimed to verify the Brazilian regions with climate and soil aptitude to the African mahogany. Rainfall, temperature and types of soil were used with variables of reference, from mahogany origin region, especially in the West African coast. From those variables, it was elaborated a selection criterion of regions considered apt, low apt and unapt to the appropriate mahogany growth and development. Brazilian regions that showed range of temperatures between 23°C and 29°C were considered apt, range from 18°C to 23 °C and from 29°C to 35°C were considered low apt, and when the range of temperature was lower than 18°C and higher than 35°C, unapt. To rainfall variable, areas with amount from 830 to 3000 mm year¹ were considerate apt, with values less than 830 and higher than 3000 were unapt. Apt regions, to edaphic characteristics, were those that contain the same types of soils found in the origin region of Khaya ivorensis A. Chev. (Ultisol, Oxisol, Neossolo, Quartzarenic Litholic, Insular and Equatorial). From the soil and climate characteristics was determined that 55.62 % of Brazil area was declared apt, 11.66 % apt with slight restrictions, 25.00% apt with mean restriction and 7.71 % restricted.

Keywords:
forest management; climate and soil; plant growth