Title
Analysis of the temporal variation of the structure of a montane forest with historical of fire
Other title
Análise da variação temporal da estrutura de uma floresta altimontana com histórico de fogo
Date Issued
01 January 2012
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Carvalho L.C.d.S.
Fernandes F.B.
Universidad Federal de Lavras
Publisher(s)
Federal University of Lavras
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural dynamic rates of an shrubs-tree component of a seasonal semideciduous upper montane forest, in Mantiqueira Mountain between 2002 and 2008. We calculated the rates of dynamic according to the number of surviving, dead individuals and recruits, as well as the rates of dynamic for gain and loss of basal area. We verified the spatial differences among the rates along the vegetation gradient parallel to ground elevation. We also studied the correlations between the rates and biotic (initial numbers of trees and initial basal area) and abiotic parameters (altimetric quota). We verified that recruitment was higher than mortality, and the gain of basal area was higher than the loses. This result suggests that the forest is expanding, with gain in number of individuals and in basal area. Normally, this result characterizes forests in recuperation after some disturbance. The community sectors (basis, middle and top of hillside) didn't show any differences in terms of dynamic rates. In general, there were few significant correlations between biotic and abiotic parameters and the dynamic rates. The increase of density and basal area, the similarity of dynamic rates among the sectors and the low correlation between parameters and the dynamic of forest's structure point out that the forest burning occurred in 90's could be, nowadays, interfering directly in dynamic rates of forest.
Start page
223
End page
230
Volume
18
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias de las plantas, Botánica Ciencias del medio ambiente
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84865599719
Source
Cerne
ISSN of the container
01047760
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus