Resumo

Coppicing is a forest management technique that induces the production of new shoots from stumps to start a novel forest cycle. This study aimed to compare anatomical characteristics between coppice and high stem. Wood samples were collected from clones of Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla, and Eucalyptus saligna grown in one-stem coppice, two-stem coppice, and high stem. Anatomical parameters of fiber dimensions such as vessel diameter and frequency were analyzed. Anatomical elements were quantified by cell coloring and point counting (324 points) methods. The anatomical structure of coppiced trees was found to vary according to eucalyptus species. Fiber length and vessel frequency were similar between coppice and high stem. Coppiced wood showed higher fiber cell wall thickness and vessel diameter. Adaptation to coppicing resulted in a specific anatomical composition for each species, such as a higher quantity of parenchymal cells in E. saligna and a lower quantity of fibers in E. grandis × E. urophylla. The point sampling method provided inaccurate results, differing significantly from the cell coloring method. The findings underscore that the decision to manage forests under a coppicing system should be approached with caution, as it is crucial to understand the resulting anatomical alterations to mitigate potential industrial issues.