Initial growth performance of valuable timber species in southern Brazil: Araucaria Angustifolia, Balfourodendron Riedelianum, and Parapiptadenia Rigida
The initial growth of three Brazilian native timber species in the city of Dois Vizinhos-PR,
Brazil, was described - Araucaria angustifolia, Balfourodendron riedelianum, and Parapiptadenia rigida,
using four non-linear mathematical models (Gompertz, Logistic, Logistic 4P, and Chapman-Richards). In the
fi rst 4 years after planting, information about collar diameter (mm), total height (m), crown height (m), and
crown diameter (m) was obtained twice a year for 12 individuals per species. Crown area (m²) and crown
volume (m³) were estimated. The growth in these four variables (collar diameter, total height, crown area, and
crown volume) was projected using the models, and their fi tting was assessed based on the values of the Akaike
Information Criterion, the Bayesian Information Criterion, the standard error of estimate, and the coeffi cient of
determination. The models generated excellent statistics for all parameters in all variables, with better statistics
for collar diameter (coeffi cient of determination higher than 0.65 and standard error lower than 30%) and total
height (coeffi cients of determination higher than 0.72 and standard error lower than 37%). Considering the
three species, Parapiptadenia rigida
