Colonization of Wood Species in a Stand of Eucalyptus spp., in Lavras (MG), Brazil

ABSTRACT

The objective of this work was to study the phyto-sociological structure of a shrub and tree vegetation colonization in an abandoned stand of Eucalyptus spp. in Lavras, MG, Brazil, in order to identify the existence of species groups, vegetation gradients, and Alpha diversity. The phytosociological sampling collected 5 transects of various sizes with 100 equidistant points (14 m), using the quadrant method. The assessment included all individuals with breast diameter ≥5 cm. There were a total of 854.28 sampled individuals/ha, belonging to 91 species, distributed into 67 genera and 31 families. The highest VI values were obtained for Piptadenia gonoacantha, Copaifera langsdorffii, Tapirira guianensis and Ocotea corymbosa. The analysis of trunk diameter distribution showed that the community was in a stage of full regeneration with individuals distributed over all diameter classes. Most species presented syndromes of seed dispersal by animals and regeneration guilds of pioneer and climax demanding light. Perhaps planting may have served as shelter and refuge for fauna species in the region and mortality of individuals of Eucalyptus spp. resulted in gaps of different sizes. Vegetation was identified along a gradient, with a gradual change in evenness between the four groups of species characterized by cluster analysis. The indices of diversity (H’ = 3.58) and evenness (J = 0.794) of the species were similar to those found in other phyto-sociological studies of Eucaliptus spp platations. Furthermore, the tree planting functioned as a catalyst for natural regeneration in the study area.

Keywords:
natural regeneration; Atlantic semideciduous forests; facilitation.