SEVEN POPULATION TEMPORAL STRUCTURE IN THREE FOREST FRAGMENTS IN THE UPPER RIO GRANDE REGION, MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

The study evaluated variations in the dynamics of seven arboreal populations (Copaifera langsdorffii, Cupania vernalis, Sebastiania commersoniana, Luehea grandiflora, Machaerium stipitatum, Machaerium villosum and Tapirira obtuse), in three fragments located in the municipal districts of Ibituruna, Ingaí and Luminárias. The populations were chosen with 15 or more individuals (including dead and recruited), in the surveys carried out in 2000 and 2005 through permanent plots. All individuals with DBH > 5cm were sampled. The analyses were made using the results of the two surveys (number of individuals, basal area and diametric distribution). No pattern was found with relation to the behavior of the populations in the three areas studied. In Ingaí, C. langsdorffii and C. vernalis increased in number of individuals, S. commersoniana and M. villosum reduced in density and in basal area, T.obtuse in number, and L. glandiflora and M. stiptatum remained the same. All species concentrated most of the individuals in the smaller diameter classes I and II (from 5 to 10cm and from 10 to 20cm). In Ibituruna, all the populations, except C. langsdoffii, reduced in number of individuals and were predominant in diameter class II. There was an increase in basal area for C. vernalis and L. grandiflora. In Luminárias, S. commersoniana presented gain in density, and M. stiptatum remained the same. The other populations of individuals reduced in density. With respect to basal area, all species, except M. villosum, presented an increase with respect to diametric distribution, it was verified that for most of the populations, a concentration of individuals in class I prevailed.