Mixed plantations of eucalypt and acacia can be beneficial from both the ecological and economic viewpoints, as they increase the biological diversity and reduce the costs of nitrogen fertilization. This trial had the objective to evaluate the effect of mixed plantations of Eucalyptus saligna (Smith) and Acacia mearnsii (De Wild) on soil and stand characteristics. The experiment was carried out on a Red Yellow Latosol, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the treatment consisted of pure and mixed stands of the two species. The spacing was of 4 by 1,5 m, and in the mixed stand the species were planted in alternate rows. The evaluations were performed when the stands were 45 months old. The trees were measured for diameter and height for volume estimation, the biomass of the aboveground components was determined and tissue samples taken for chemical analyses. Soil samples were collected from 0-5; 5-10; 10-20, and 20-40 cm depth. Total stem volume did not differ between mixed and eucalypt pure plantations. In the mixed plantation, 64% of the total volume was provided by the eucalypt trees. The eucalypt trees in the mixed stands accumulated more (22%) nitrogen than in the pure stands. Soil organic matter, total nitrogen was higher in the mixed than in the eucalypt pure stand. Soil under the pure stands of Acacia had higher base content than those where eucalypt was present due to eucalypt higher biomass production and nutrient accumulation. Mixed plantation improves eucalypt nitrogen nutrition and increases the nitrogen pools of the ecosystem while maintaining total wood production.
Eucalyptus saligna; Acacia mearnsii; wood production; nutrient accumulation