This study was carried out in two sites of a semideciduous forest, under different stages of secondary succession in Viçosa, MG to verify qualitative variations in floristic composition. In each site, ten plots of 10 m x 20 m were delimited, with all woody individuals with circumference at 130 cm height from the soil larger than or equal to 5 cm being listed. Floristic similarity among parcels was evaluated through clustering analysis, using the Sørensen index. Sixty-seven species were sampled in the 15-year-old area, and 69 species in the 30-year-old area. Among the exclusive species, 38 were placed in the younger site and 40 in the older. The families Annonaceae, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae and Sapindaceae, with five, four and four species, respectively, and the genus Nectandra, with two species, were better represented in the 15-year-old site. On the other hand, the families Flacourtiaceae, Meliaceae and Myrtaceae, with four, three and four species, respectively, and the genus Ocotea, with three species, were better represented in the 30-year-old site. Floristic similarity among plots from the same area was considered high, being related to spatial proximity, which reflects similar bakgrounds of disturbance and regeneration, consequently resulting in similar floristic compositions and secondary succession stage.
Tropical semideciduous forest; functional groups; floristic composition; secondary succession
