Regeneration of a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest on the Santa Catarina Plateau

Abstract

Studies on forest regeneration can provide information about species that will form a forest in the future. However, few studies emphasize this component. This study evaluated tree and shrub regeneration in a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest using 180 sample plots with 2.5 m radius, where individuals whose height was ≥ 50 cm and diameter at breast height (DBH) was ≤ 5.0 cm. The sample consisted of 4,078 individuals and 89 species. The Shannon index (3.64) and the Pielou index (0.81) showed a high diversity and balance regarding the abundance of species. The most significant species for regeneration were Allophylus edulis, Casearia decandra, Cupania vernalis, Matayba elaeagnoides, and Myrsine coriacea. The results show that not all of the most important species tend exhibit an inverted J shape, indicating the possibility of imbalance between the mortality and recruitment rates of these species in regeneration.

Keywords

• Araucaria forest
• Forest regeneration
• Height distribution
• Phytosociology
• Species richness and diversity