Zoneamento agroclimático para plantio de Eucalyptus urophylla na Zona da Mata de Pernambuco

Abstract

The state of Pernambuco, encompassing the biomes of the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga, faces challenges of degradation, especially in the Atlantic Forest, extensive sugarcane cultivation has resulted in forest fragmentation of biome, with impoverished and abandoned areas. The study suggests reestablishing the use of these degraded areas considering market demand, with the main objective of conducting an agroclimatic zoning of areas suitable for eucalyptus plantation in the Zona da Mata of Pernambuco. To achieve this, data on average air temperature and precipitation were collected from four meteorological stations distributed in the region. Using these data, monthly climatic water balance was calculated following the method proposed by Thornthwaite and Mather (1955). Subsequently, the data were processed and mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment using QGIS 3.16 software. The agroclimatic zoning was elaborated considering the climatic requirements of the Eucalyptus urophylla species, highlighting areas with thermal and water conditions suitable for cultivation. The results showed that approximately 28.95% of the analyzed territory in the Zona da Mata is suitable for the development of the species, concentrating in 16 municipalities surrounding the Metropolitan Region of Recife. This potential area totals 2428 km². On the other hand, approximately 71.05% of the studied area was considered unsuitable due to identified levels of water deficit. These results can contribute to land use planning, promoting more sustainable and effective cultivation practices in the region.