EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN NURSERIES OF TROPICAL SPECIES USED IN URBAN GREENING DaviD anDrés Herrera r amírez 1 Juan Diego León PeLáez 2 mónica ruiz renDón 3 neLson W aLter osorio vega 4 guiLLermo correa LonDoño 5 ricarDo esteban ricarDo 6 ángeLa uribe bravo 7 ABSTRACT One of the determining factors in urban tree development and growth is fertilization. We therefore studied the nutritional requirements of five tree species used in urban greening (Tabebuia chrysantha, Margaritaria nobilis, Hamelia patens, Apeiba aspera, Cupania americana) using the missing element technique. Differential responses by groups were found for nitrogen and sulfur deficiencies. The T.chrysanta, M.nobilis, and H.patens groups showed high sensitivity to nitrogen deficiencies. This was evident in a lower mean growth for all variables assessed: height, root neck diameter, aerial dry matter, and radical dry matter. The C. americana and A. aspera group showed the lowest mean growth for sulfur deficiencies. The HJ-Biplot representations, used to characterize the species’ response to each treatment, showed low growth yields for nitrogen and sulfur deficiencies in every individual tree species assessed. The imbalance of calcium/magnesium bases and magnesium/potassium bases affected height growth in all species. This 1 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín. MSc.(c) Forests and Environmental Conservation, Univer- sidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, (Colombia). 2 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín. Specialist in Environmental Management, Universidad de An- tioquia (Colombia). MSc. on Environmental Impact Assessment, Instituto de Investigaciones Ecológicas, Málaga (Spain). PhD. Management and Conservation of Natural Resources: Application to Environmental Management, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca (Spain). Associate professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellin, Agricultural Sciences Faculty. 3 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín (Colombia). 4 Agronomist Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín. MSc. and PhD. Agronomy and Soil Science, University of Hawaii. Associate professor, Sciences Faculty Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín. 5 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín. MSc. MSc. in specialty in Statistics, Colegio de Postgraduados, Texcoco (México). PhD. Applied Multivariate Statistics, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca (Spain). Associate professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Agricultural Sciences Faculty. 6 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín. M.Sc. Environment and Development, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín (Colombia). 7 Foresty Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín. Specialist in Finance and Project Development, Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14508/reia.2014.11.21.41-54 Paper history: Paper received on: 10-IX-2013 / Approved: 05-I-2014 Available online: May 12th 2014 Open discussion until May 2015 Correspondence author: Herrera-Ramírez, D.A. (David Andrés): Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Departamento de Ciencias Fores- tales, Medellín, Colombia. Tel: (574) 482 66 40 Email: daherrerr@unal.edu.co Revista EIA, ISSN 1794-1237 / Year XI / Volume 11 / Issue N. 21 / January-June 2014 / pp. 39-52 Technical-scientific biannual publication / Escuela de Ingeniería de Antioquia —EIA—, Envigado (Colombia)