Stand carrying capacity is the maximum size of population for a species under given environmental conditions. Site resources limit the maximum volume or biomass that can be sustained in forest stands. This study was aimed at estimating and determining the carrying capacity in loblolly pine. Maximum stand basal area (BA) that can be sustained over a long period of time can be regarded as a measure of carrying capacity. To quantify and project stand BA carrying capacity, one approach is to use the estimate from a fitted cumulative BA-age equation; another approach is to obtain BA estimates implied by maximum size-density relationships (MSDRs), denoted implied maximum stand BA. The efficacy of three diameter-based MSDR measures: Reineke's self-thinning rule, competition-density rule and Nilson's sparsity index, were evaluated. Estimates from three MSDR measures were compared with estimates from the Chapman-Richards (C-R) equation fitted to the maximum stand BA observed on plots from spacing trials. The spacing trials, established in the two physiographic regions (Piedmont and Coastal Plain), and at two different scales (operational and miniature) were examined and compared, which provides a sound empirical basis for evaluating potential carrying capacity. Results showed that the stands with high initial planting density approached the stand BA carrying capacity sooner than the stands with lower initial planting density. The maximum stand BA associated with planting density developed similarly at the two scales. The potential carrying capacity in the two physiographic regions was significantly different. The value of implied maximum stand BA converted from three diameter-based MSDR measures was similar to the maximum stand BA curve obtained from the C-R equation. Nilson's sparsity index was the most stable and reliable estimate of stand BA carrying capacity. The flexibility of Nilson's sparsity index can illustrate the effect of physiographic regions on stand BA carrying capacity. Because some uncontrollable factors on long-term operational experiments can make estimates of stand BA carrying capacity unreliable for loblolly pine, it is suggested that the stand BA carrying capacity could be estimated from high initial planting density stands in a relatively short period of time so that the risk of damages and the costs of experiments could be reduced. For estimating carrying capacity, another attractive option is to choose a miniature scale trial (microcosm) because it shortens the experiment time and reduces costs greatly. / Master of Science

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:24:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA13MA094.pdf: 3484558 bytes, checksum: 4cd098df0840598b9d19fbbc52ff65cb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In regions with subtropical climates the use of grasses intercropping, mainly oats and ryegrass is a common practice, but the advantages and disadvantages of the intercrop in relation the pure culture are little studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the production and persistence of black oat and ryegrass swards grown pure or intercropping throughout the period of use. The three treatments were randomly distributed into a complete blocks design with four replicates. The pre-grazing sward heights were 23, 20 and 17 cm for the oat, intercrop and ryegrass treatments, respectively. The post-grazing sward heights were 40% lower than their initial heights. Morphogenesis was performed using the technique of marked tillers and dynamic and tiller population density (TPD) was determined with three 10-cmdiameter PVC rings per paddock. The treatments did not differ in the final length of intact leaf, being the October month with the lowest values (approximately 48% lower). The phyllochron was not affected by the form of cultivation, but the values were increasing with the advance of the growing season. The leaf elongation rate decreased over the months, with a mean value of 0.14 cm / perfilhos.graus-day for all treatments. The advance of the growing season resulted in increases stem elongation rates, with the species in the intercrop having smaller increments in the final months. In general, rates of senescence reduced with the advance of months, and the intercrop increased tissue death of ryegrass. The intercrop TPD remained constant until October, inverting the participation of species in August. Of the tillers existing on the last grazing cycle, approximately 0, 40 and 20% were first generation of the oats, ryegrass and intercrop, respectively. Thus, despite of ryegrass pure have the lowest rate of tillering, it have the same rate of population stability of the intercrop. The pure ryegrass had the highest average net accumulation rates by offering smaller forage losses by senescence. Tiller size/density compensation was observed in the three plant communities (treatments) according to the self-thinning rule. In addition, no relationships were found when each species was analysed individually in the intercrop treatment. For the species tested the developmental stage of sward has greater influence on the morphogenesis and structural characteristics than cultivation form. The morphological similarity of oats and ryegrass enables evaluated traits similar in both forms of cultivation. When intercropping the temperate climate grasses under rotational grazing, size/density compensation mechanisms occurred throughout the grazing cycles and in the plant communities the same form of the pure cultivation to maintain the leaf area index and production capacities of the pastures / Em regiões de clima subtropical a utilização de gramíneas em consórcio, principalmente aveia e azevém, é uma prática comum, porém as vantagens e desvantagens do consórcio em relação ao cultivo puro são pouco estudadas. Objetivou-se avaliar a produção e a longevidade de pastos de aveia-preta e azevém anual cultivados puros ou em consórcio ao longo de todo o período de utilização. Os três tratamentos foram distribuídos em blocos completos casualizados com quatro repetições, tendo cada unidade experimental 98 m2. As alturas em pré-pastejo foram 23, 20 e 17 cm para a aveia, o consórcio e o azevém, respectivamente, sendo rebaixados em 40% destas alturas. A morfogênese foi realizada por meio da técnica de perfilhos marcados e a dinâmica e densidade populacional de perfilhos (DPP) em três anéis de PVC com 10 cm de diâmetro por piquete. Os tratamentos não diferiram quanto ao comprimento final de folha intacta, ficando o mês de outubro com os menores valores (aproximadamente 48% menor). Não houve efeito da forma de cultivo para os valores de filocrono, porém os valores foram crescentes com o avanço da estação de crescimento. A taxa de alongamento foliar reduziu com o passar dos meses, com valor médio de 0,14 cm/perfilho.grau-dia para todos os tratamentos. O avanço da estação de crescimento resultou em incrementos nas taxas de alongamento de colmos, com as espécies no consórcio apresentando menores incrementos nos meses finais. De maneira geral, as taxas de senescência foliar reduziram com o avanço dos meses, sendo que o consórcio aumentou a morte de tecidos do azevém. O consórcio manteve a DPP constante até outubro, apresentando uma inversão na participação das duas espécies em agosto. Dos perfilhos existentes no último ciclo de pastejo, aproximadamente 0, 40 e 20% eram da primeira geração no azevém, na aveia e no consórcio, respectivamente. Com isso, apesar de apresentar a menor taxa de aparecimento de perfilhos o azevém cultivado puro apresentou o mesmo índice de estabilidade populacional do consórcio. O azevém cultivado puro apresentou as maiores taxas de acúmulo líquido médio por apresentar as menores perdas de forragem por senescência. A compensação tamanho/densidade de perfilhos foi observada segundo a lei do auto-desbaste (self thinning rule) nos três tratamentos quando levados em conta todos os perfilhos da área, não sendo encontrada relação quando as espécies foram analisadas individualmente no consórcio. Para as espécies testadas o estádio de desenvolvimento dos pastos apresenta maior influência sobre as características morfogênicas e estruturais do que a forma de cultivo. A semelhança morfológica da aveia e do azevém possibilita características morfogênicas e estruturais parecidas em ambas as formas de cultivo. É sugestivo que em consórcios entre gramíneas de clima temperado sob lotação intermitente os mecanismos de compensação tamanho/densidade operem na comunidade de plantas e ao longo dos ciclos de pastejo da mesma forma que nos cultivos puros, mantendo elevado índice de área foliar e capacidade produtiva