ABSTRACT
This work has had as its principal objectives the study of dominant height growth considering its age in three natural sites, and the determination of natural sites classification efficacy for the Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Ktze. in a planting stand in Canela, RS. For height and age data adjustment, determined through stem analysis, it was used the RICHARDS (1959) non-linear mathematics model, with two and three coefficients, resulting the three coefficient model as the most efficient to data adjustment of twelve dominant tree sampled on three natural sites in study. Seven groups of dominant trees with different trends growth were obtained, indicating that the natural sites classification did not detect with accuracy the effects of environmental variables on height growth of Araucaria angustifolia.
Key words:
Araucaria angustifolia; site; height growth