Reducing greenhouse gas emissions via harvest residue management in eucalyptus afforestation on Brazilian sandy soils.

Introduction: The greenhouse gas balance is a central theme in discussions related to forest ecosystems. In this context, the present study evaluated the impact of five eucalyptus harvest residue management systems on atmospheric C-CO retention in soil, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the global warming potential (GWP) in plantations.

Methods: The management systems examined were: AR - all harvest residues retained on soil; NB - harvest residues kept on soil, except bark; NBr - harvest residues kept on soil, except branches; NR - all harvest residues (bark, branches, leaves) removed; NRs - all residues from the previous rotation and new plantation litter removed using shade cloth.