COMPARISON OF PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AMONG THREE STRATA OF A FRAGMENT OF OMBROPHYLOUS MIXED FOREST

Phytosociological studies based on sampling have been very common in the last 20 years, however, they are rarely carried out using complete enumeration of trees (census). This research compare the phytossociological parameters between three different strata from a remnant of Ombrophylous Mixed Forest (OMF), which are: OMF Montana, Border OMF Montana and OMF Alluvial. The area of 13.71 was topographically divided in blocks of 50 x 50 meters for a better control of the 100% forest inventory (census). All trees with CBH (circumference measured at 1,30 m above ground) >= 31,5 centimeters were measured, georeferencied, numbered, painted at DBH and identified at species level. In the strata OMF Montana the species with the highest Value of Coverage (VC) was Araucaria angustifolia, with 30.6%, followed by Casearia sylvestris with 25.8%. In the Border OMF Montana the species that succeeded Araucaria angustifolia (29.0%) was Gochnatia polymorpha with 27.2% of VC. The third strata, OMF Alluvial, presented as predominant species Schinus terebinthifolius (55,5%), followed by Sebastiania commersoniana (27,7%), both characteristics of alluvial environments. In the three strata there was prevalence of secondary pioneer species, proving that the area is in a secondary stage of ecological succession due to past exploratory process.