Growth and yield of mahogany wood in cocoa-based agroforestry systems of two soil types in the Brazilian Amazon

The mahogany tree ( Swietenia macrophylla King) is a species of conservation concern, mostly due to illegal and destructive harvesting practices. It has been planted in several agroforestry systems in the Brazilian Amazon to preserve the species and provide a sustainable source of this valuable timber. This study analyzed the growth and yield of the mahogany wood from plants used as shading in cocoa-based agroforestry systems with nitisols and red–yellow acrisols, located in the State of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon, because these two types of soils are the most recommended for implanting cocoa-based agroforestry systems in the region due to their natural fertility. The installed experiment was a randomized 2 × 6 factorial experiment, with two types of soil and six different tree ages. The results indicate that soil type and plant age both affected the increments in diameter at breast height. Trees from the red–yellow acrisol had statistically higher diameter at breast height values ( P