EFFECTIVENESS OF DIRECT SEEDING TECHNIQUES FOR FOREST RESTORATION IN A BRAZILIAN CERRADO AREA

Abstract

Background: Forest  restoration  plays  a  crucial  role  in  mitigating  climate  change.  In  the  Cerrado  biome, effective and scalable restoration techniques are still lacking, particularly those that balance logistics, cost, and ecological success. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of four direct seeding techniques for forest restoration under field conditions.

Results: The tested treatments included: (DS) direct seeding with native species, (DS+BAC) with a bacterial consortium, (DS+NPK) with NPK fertilizer, and (DS+BAC+NPK) with both inputs. The experiment, conducted in Monte Alegre de Minas (MG, Brazil), used a randomized complete block design with 16 plots. Botanical inventories occurred at 63, 105, 164, and 454 days post-sowing. Significant height differences were observed, with DS+BAC+NPK yielding the tallest plants. Species richness showed no consistent differences across treatments, while diversity and evenness increased over time. Similarity among plots declined, indicating vegetation differentiation among treatments.

Conclusion: All  four  direct  seeding  techniques  showed  promise  for  Cerrado  restoration,  but DS+BAC+NPK  was  the  most  effective  in  promoting  plant  growth  and  ecological  indicators. Continued long-term monitoring is essential to fully understand the role of all four direct seeding techniques showed promise for Cerrado restoration, although DS+BAC+NPK was the most effective in promoting plant growth and ecological indicators. Continued long-term monitoring is essential to fully understand the role of forest restoration in various ecological contexts.