Phytosociological characterization of arboreal stratum in a remainder of a semidecidual seasonal forest in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul

This research was developed in a Semideciduous Seasonal Forest located at coordinates (29 degrees 49'S: 52 degrees 25'W) in Montenegro Petrochemical pole, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, aiming at studying the floristic and phytossociological aspects of the forest. Sampling was systematic and composed of 21 strips (10m wide and variable length according to fragment extension located 80m apart. In the strips the distribution was in contiguous 10 X 10m plots (100m(2)). Individuals that presented circumference at breast height (CBH)>15cm, totaling 3.854 individuals (1,83ha), distributed in 81 species, 59 geneus and 32 families were appraised The most representative botanic families in the forest formation were Myrtaceae (13 species): Fabaceoe (7), Lauraceae (6); Meliaceae (5), Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae (4). The most valuable species were Sebastiania commersoniana, Casearia sylvestris, Myrsine umbellata, Mimosa bimucronata, Allophylus edulis e Syagrus romanzoffiana, representing 51.52 % of IV The forest had been presented low diversity with Shannon index of]. 9948 (nats/individuals), indicating human impact.