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| Author(s): |
Marcos Augusto da Silva Scaranello
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Piracicaba. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB) |
| Defense date: | 2010-03-12 |
| Examining board members: |
Plinio Barbosa de Camargo;
João Luis Ferreira Batista;
Flavio Antonio Maës dos Santos
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| Advisor: | Plinio Barbosa de Camargo |
| Abstract | |
Tropical forests display a biodiversity unmatched by any other vegetation type and play an important role in the global terrestrial carbon cycle. However, tropical forests have been severely impacted in the last years. In Brazil, the tropical Atlantic forest is restricted to approximately 7 % of its original extension and its fragments still remain threatened. Hence, information regarding the vegetation dynamic of this important biome is important to understand the functioning of this ecosystem and support conservation and restoration actions. Here, the principal processes that drive forest dynamics (mortality, recruitment and growth) were estimated for two tropical Atlantic forest types. Additionally, the net aboveground biomass change (AGB) also was estimated. In this study, five one-hectare permanent plots established by the Gradiente Funcional project were adopted: four (4) plots in lowland and one (1) in seasonally flooded Atlantic forest. The forestry inventories were performed in the same time of permanent plot establishment (2006) and after two (2) years (2008). The results showed that the seasonally flooded Atlantic forest has greater total stem density (DBH \'>OU=\'4.8 cm) than lowland Atlantic forest, equal to 1635 ind.ha-1 in seasonally flooded and 1221 ind.ha-1 in lowland forest. The aboveground biomass (AGB) was greater in lowland than in seasonally flooded forest, equal to 166.3 Mg.ha-1 in seasonally flooded and 212.3 Mg.ha-1 in lowland forest (4,8 cm DBH). The distribution of trees among DBH classes influenced these structural differences: the seasonally flooded forest has high stem density at smaller DBH size class while the lowland forest has high stem density at larger DBH size class. In addition, that variation in size structure also impacted the AGB distribution among DBH classes: the seasonally flooded Atlantic forest has more AGB in the 10-30 cm DBH class and the lowland Atlantic forest has more AGB in the large size class ( \'>OU=\'50 cm). The median growth rate of tree community did not differ between the two forest types, equal to 1.0 mm.yr-1 in seasonally flooded and 0.8 mm.yr-1 in lowland forest ( \'>OU=\'4.8 cm DBH). Differences in growth rates regarding the life forms (tree and palm) were observed. Tree growth rates showed positive relationship with crown illumination index and DBH classes. The same tendency was not observed for palm life form. The mortality rate of tree community did not differ between the two forest types, equal to 2.46 % in seasonally flooded and 2.00 % in lowland forest ( \'>OU=\'4.8 cm DBH). The recruitment rate also did not differ between the two forest types, equal to 1.42 % in seasonally flooded and 1.36 % in lowland forest (\'>OU=\'4.8 cm DBH). The lowland Atlantic forest AGB net change (0.64 Mg.ha-1.yr-1) was higher than seasonally flooded Atlantic forest (0.64 Mg.ha-1.yr-1). Finally, the tropical Atlantic forest has higher stem density, lower AGB, lower growth and turnover rates than other tropical forests probably due to rainfall distribution among year (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 07/06821-5 - Tree population dynamic in two areas of Atlantic Forest, "Serra do Mar" State Park, SP, Brazil |
| Grantee: | Marcos Augusto da Silva Scaranello |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |