DISTRIBUTION OF TREE AND SHRUBS SPECIES ALONG OF THE SOIL HUMIDITY GRADIENT FROM PUNCTUAL HEADWATERS OF THE SANTA CRUZ STREAM WATERSHED, LAVRAS, SE BRAZIL

Abstract

The objective of this research was to verify the distribution of the tree and shrubs species along the soil humidity gradient in the punctual headwaters environment localized at the Santa Cruz stream watershed, Lavras, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. To understanding the vegetation it was performed a structural survey of shrubs and trees stratum of three degraded and disturbed headwaters. In each sampled headwaters it was instaled 4 plots of 50 x10m located above (P1), below (P2), on the right (P3) and on the left (P4) of the headwaters. The area around of the headwaters was separated in two gradients of species. The first gradient consisted in species present in the plot P2, following the river bed and in the firsts 10m length of the plots P1, P3 and P4. The second gradient comprised of species present in the plots P1, P3 and P4 from of the 10m length of each plot. In the structural surveys they were recorded 1.217 individuals distributed in 110 species, 80 genus and 43 botanical families. It was concluded that the exclusiveness of the species in the distinct gradients, the value of density of the contrasty individuals for the species in the gradients and the model of spatial distribution of the species along the river bed demonstrated the specificity of the environment to the headwaters. The specificity demands different strategies for conservation and reclamation of the headwaters.