SPATIAL CONTINUITY IN A MIXED OMBROPHILOUS FOREST WITH DIFFERENT SIZE AND SHAPE OF SAMPLE UNITS
Main Article Content
Abstract
Size and shape of sample units are fundamental for the observation of spatial continuity in native forests and important to characterize patterns structured in space by different scales. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the spatial continuity of number of trees and basal area, evaluating the influence of size and shape of sample units in a mixed ombrophilous forest in Paraná State, Brazil. An area of 25 hectares was divided in 50 m x 50 m and 25 m x 25 m square sample units, and also in 10 m x 50 m and 20m x 50m rectangular sample units. In these samples, the number of trees (n.ha-1) and the basal area (m².ha-1) were determined in each of them, with the possible spatial continuity analyzed by geostatistics analysis. The influence of size and shape of sample units on the spatial continuity structure was analyzed. Also, adjusted semivariograms were used to observe that the correlation between neighboring sample units for number of trees was stronger than for the basal area. However, due to the similarity of the semiovariograms, both sizes and shapes can be used to describe the spatial structure of number of trees, while the square sample units were more appropriate to describe basal area.
Article Details
Issue
Section
Article
The published articles are freely distributed among researchers and social media, and all authors transfer the copyright to Cerne. The research findings can also be used in classroom teaching, conferences, dissertations/theses, and other applications without any restriction. We strongly recommend citing the article to reach a wider audience. The Author also declares that the work is original and free of plagiarism. The authors agree with the publication and are responsible for the accuracy of the information.