Influence of El Niño and La Niña on the productivity of Eucalyptus plantations in different regions in Brazil

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the climatic phenomena El Niño and La Niña on the productivity simulated by the 3PG model in Eucalyptus spp. The studies were carried out in areas with clonal planting of eucalyptus in the States of Bahia (BA), Minas Gerais (MG) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS). We worked on the years of occurrence of the El Niño and La Niña events with weak, moderate and strong intensities in the years 1980 to 2015. Simulations of the variables that express planting productivity in each year of these climatic events were made using the 3PG model. The calibration of the model was made from inventory data of the plots worked. The ages of three, five and seven years were assessed throughout the cycle. The averages of states, regions and ages were statistically compared using the Tukey test (p ≤ 5%). The model was able to detect trends attributed to the climatic events of El Niño and La Niña, showing greater volumetric increases in those that presented greater total rainfall. The events in which climatic conditions limiting the growth of plantations occurred, verified a smaller increase in total biomass. The estimated biomass showed greater increases for the organs: wood> root> leaves, respectively.

Keywords
ENOS; Climate; Ecophysiological modeling; Forestry