AGROCLIMATIC SUITABILITY FOR Eucalyptus urophylla IN THE STATE OF TOCANTINS, CONSIDERING DIFFERENT CAPACITIES OF AVAILABLE WATER IN THE SOIL

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the agroclimatic suitability of Eucalyptus urophylla in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, considering different capacities of available water in the soil (CAD): 100 mm, 150 mm and 220 mm. The climatological water balance was used by the Thornthwaite-Mather method, with temperature and precipitation data spatialized via Spline interpolation in the ArcGIS 10.1 software. The areas were classified based on the climatic requirements of the species and the annual water deficit values calculated for each CAD in suitability classes: suitable, marginal, restricted and unsuitable. It was observed that, with the increase in the CAD, there was a reduction in the water deficit and expansion of the suitable class, from 0.29% (CAD = 100 mm) to 4.26% (CAD = 220 mm) of the area of the State, concentrated in the North and Northwest regions, where clayey soils predominate. The marginal class was predominant in all conditions, ranging from 53.7% to 50.12% of the territory. The results reinforce the importance of planning based on edaphoclimatic characteristics, especially for regions with sandy soils or low water retention. This agroclimatic zoning can support decisions for the sustainable expansion of E. urophylla cultivation in Tocantins, contributing to efficient forest management and increased productivity in challenging conditions.