1 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | (2019) 9:10641 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46943-w www.nature.com/scientificreports Wood properties of Carapa guianensis from foodplain and upland forests in Eastern Amazonia, Brazil Anderson Vasconcelos Firmino 1 , Graziela Baptista Vidaurre 1 , José Tarcísio da Silva Oliveira 1 , Marcelino Guedes 2 , Maria Naruna Felix de Almeida 1 , João Gabriel Missia da Silva 1 , João Vicente de Figueiredo Latorraca 3 & José Cola Zanuncio 4 The variable environmental conditions of the Amazon forest can afect the wood properties of the tree species distributed across its diverse phytophysiognomies. Carapa guianensis (Andiroba) occurs in upland and foodplain forests, and the wood and oil of its seeds have multiple uses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wood properties of C. guianensis trees in upland and estuarine foodplain forests of the Amazon River. Eight trees were selected, with four being from the upland and four from the foodplain forests. The fber length, fber wall thickness, vessel diameter and frequency, microfbril angle, specifc gravity and wood shrinkage were evaluated. The juvenile and mature wood zones were determined according to these variables. The fber length, fber wall thickness and specifc gravity increased, and microfbril angle decreased, in the pith to bark direction. Only the fber length variable was efcient for delimiting juvenile, transition and mature wood. The fber length, wall thickness and specifc gravity of wood were higher in upland forest trees. However, the environment did not alter the beginning of the formation and proportion of C. guianensis mature wood. This information is important for the log ft in cutting diagrams, aiming toward improving the production, classifcation and processing of pieces with specifc quality indexes in order to direct them to appropriate wood uses. Te Amazon is the largest biome in Brazil, occupying almost half of the territory, and the largest world biodiver- sity reserve. Tis biome has one third of the planet’s tropical forests (4.2 million km 2 ) and numerous phytophys- iognomies 1 , including foodplain and upland forests. Floodplain forests are characterized by low and fooded terrains and with a seasonal and/or daily variation of river water level 2 , while the upland forests are found in higher areas without foods infuence 3 . Soil fertility is higher in foodplain areas favoring tree growth 4 , while pre- cipitation seasonality and lower soil fertility are characteristic of upland areas 5 . Carapa guianensis (Meliaceae), popularly known as Andiroba, has high economic value and this tree is found in upland and foodplain forests. Te tree has multiples uses and its wood has high value for solid products including furniture manufacturing, construction, veneers and plywood; and the oil of the seeds, besides medic- inal importance 6–8 . Te use and sustainable management of C. guianensis wood depend on the knowledge of wood properties, such as the percentage of mature wood as one of the main indicators of wood quality. Te defnition of juvenile and mature wood help decisions on minimum harvesting age and processing methodologies optimizing timber production and reducing environmental impacts. Mature wood, developed in the mature stage of the vascular cambium, has more uniform properties and greater mechanical resistance, with better characteristics for saw- mill and structural purposes 9–11 . Wood properties such as fber length and wall thickness 10,12 , microfbril angle 13 , width of the growth ring 14 , specifc gravity 15 and shear modulus 16 are used to defne the transition between juve- nile and mature wood. 1 Departamento de Ciências Florestais e da Madeira, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Jerônimo Monteiro, 29550-000, Brazil. 2 Centro de Pesquisa Agroflorestal do Amapá, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Macapá, 68903419, Brazil. 3 Departamento de Produtos Florestais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, 23851-970, Brazil. 4 Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to G.B.V. (email: grazividaurre@gmail.com) Received: 2 July 2018 Accepted: 26 April 2019 Published: xx xx xxxx OPEN