Forest plantations are considered as an alternative land use to mitigate the effects of climate change due to their potential for carbon sequestration in tree species. However, there is little information about carbon stocks and fluxes in forest plantations commonly used in the tropics, especially in the Amazon. The aim of this study was to quantify aboveground carbon stock and soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux in Acacia mangium Willd and Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum at different spacings. The study was conducted in Dom Eliseu, Pará, whose climate has a mean annual temperature around 25 ºC, annual rainfall varies from 2250 to 2500 mm; predominant soil is A moderate typic dystrophic Oxisol loamy soil. In this study we selected two species (A. mangium and S. parahyba var. Amazonicum) at two spacings (4.0 x 2.0 m and 4.0 x 3.0 m) with two replications, resulting in 4 treatments and 8 plots studied for a period of one year, from 2.5 to 3.5 years old. The plots measured 48 m x 60 m. We measured: height, diameter at breast height, soil CO2 flux, and estimated aboveground carbon stock. Mean soil CO2 efflux in plantations of A. mangium was 5.61 ± 1.30 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, and for S. parahyba the overall average was 7.07 ± 1.50 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. Annual accumulation of carbon in above-ground biomass A. mangium was 16.41 ± 1.16 and 14.03 ± 0.82 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in 4.0 x 2.0 m and 4.0 x 3.0 m and 3.0 m, respectively. In S. parahyba the annual accumulation rate was 8.93 ± 1.87 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. A. mangium plantations accumulated more carbon in aboveground biomass than S. parahyba, with lower annual soil CO2 efflux smaller in relation to S. parahyba in both spacings. Overall A. mangium plantations in the 4.0 x 2.0 m spacing are recommended for carbon sequestration projects. In relation to S. parahyba, the 4.0 x 3.0 m would be recommended due to the same efficiency in carbon sequestration with lower requirement of inputs (seedlings) compared to 4.0 x 2.0 m. Continuos monitoring of the studied plantations would be very suitable to better understand the carbon dynamics.
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