Floristic Evaluation of the Regenerating Stratum of Reforestations in a Rehabilitated Atlantic Forest Area

ABSTRACT

Spontaneous regeneration in reforestation areas can indicate effectiveness of ecological succession and rehabilitation sustainability. The studied recovery area had been rehabilitated 14 years before, with five reforestations with different species with proportional and functional properties. The floristic composition and richness of the regenerating stratus was evaluated (h ≥ 15 cm; DBH ≤ 10 cm) using point methodology in the winter (2007) and the summer (2008). There were found 3,554 individuals, 38 families, 84 genus and 147 species. The main families were: Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae-Mimosoideae. Treatment T5 with predominance of Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth presented the greatest species richness in summer (29) and in winter (41). Treatment T3 presented the lowest value (28), with predominance of Acacia mangium Willd; and, in winter, T4 (19), with predominance of Acacia auriculiformis Sandw. There was an improvement of the rehabilitated ecosystem in sustainability path when compared to the witness area (T0).

Keywords:
degraded areas; regeneration; vegetal succession.