Copper is an essential element for the plants, but when it’s present in high amounts in soil, it becomes
toxic to vegetable metabolism. One of the strategies for rehabilitation of contaminated areas by metals is
the phytoremediation, which consists in the introduction of vegetable species on contaminated soil. The
research aimed to evaluate the interference of increasing doses of copper, applied in soil, on growth and on
quality of seedling of
Bauhinia forficata
Link,
Pterogyne nitens
Tul e
Enterolobium contortisiliquum
Vell.
The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, completely randomized design, with eight repetitions and in factorial arrangement (3 x 6), which include three forest species and six copper dosages in soil (0,
60, 120, 180, 240 end 300 mg kg
-1). It was evaluated the following parameters: height, collar diameter,
aerial dry mass, root dry mass, specific surface area and Dickson Quality Index. The results evidenced
that the
Enterolobium contortisiliquum Vell seedlings are more tolerant than
Bauhinia forficata Link and
Pterogyne nitens Tul seedlings and they have better quality of seedlings at higher doses of copper. Copper
doses reduce with higher intensity plant height, dry mass of aerial and roots parts, specific surface area
and Dickson Quality Index of seedlings of
Bauhinia forficata Link and
Pterogyne nitens Tul in relation to
Enterolobium contortisiliquum Vell Seedlings of
Enterolobium contortisiliquum Vell are more tolerant to
higher copper doses than
Bauhinia forficata Link and
Pterogyne nitens Tul in soil.
