Fifty eight plots of 480 m² (20 x 24 m) were established in stands of 5.5 year-old Eucalyptus grandis, growing in Rio Doce Valley - MG, Brazil, in order to study the relationship between growth and site characteristics. The topography of the area is hilly and the soil predominantly Oxisol, originated from granite-gnaiss parent material. A discriminant model with two linear functions was obtained and allowed to correctly classify 86.2% of the plots. The discriminant model obtained showed a holistic nature, and included climatic, physiographic and edaphic characteristics. The environmental characteristics included in the model were altitud, landform, slope, solar radiation, clay floculation in the 0-20 cm layer, silt/clay ratio in the 40-60 cm layer, and calcium/sum of bases ratio in the 0-20 and 40-60 cm layers. The physiographic attributes were the most important in the model and should be taken into consideration when selecting areas for eucalypt commercial plantations in the region.
Eucalyptus grandis; site quality; discriminant analysis; multivariate analysis