STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A PATCH OF RIPARIAN FOREST ALONG THE RIO GRANDE, IN MADRE DE DEUS DE MINAS, SE BRAZIL

Abstract

A survey was carried out in a patch of riparian forest lying along the Rio Grande in Madre de Deus de Minas (21°29’22’’S, 44°22’35’’W, c. 900-950 m altitude), state of Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. The forest patch is characterised as Montane Semideciduous Seasonal Forest, on the upland slopes, and Alluvial Semideciduous Seasonal Forest, on the seasonally flooded alluvial bed. The soils are Haplustox, on the slopes, and Ustifluvent, on the alluvial bed. The area was sampled with 71 (15 ´ 15 m) contiguous plots, totalling a sample area of 1,597 ha. A total of 1,738 trees with circumference at the base of the stem (cbt) ³ 15.7 cm were recorded in the sample. The trees were distributed in 116 species, 90 genera and 47 families. Most trees (78,3%) belonged to ten families, the most important of which were: Myrtaceae (16,6%), Euphorbiaceae (10,0%), and Annonaceae (9,4%). The four families with the higher number of species were Myrtaceae (11), Fabaceae (9), Lauraceae (8), and Rubiaceae (8). The most abundant species on the upland slopes were: Xylopia brasiliensis (150), Myrcia multiflora (119), and Geonoma schottiana (105). On the alluvial bed Salix humboldtiana (104) and Inga vera (89) encompassed 95,1% of all trees.