SEED RAIN IN SUCCESSIONAL STAGES OF SEMIDECIDUOUS SEASONAL FOREST IN VICOSA, MG

This study aims to describe and to evaluate seed rain dynamic in two successional stages in a seasonal semideciduous forest at the Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa campus, MG (20 degrees 46'S and 42 degrees 52' W), Brazil. The study was conducted between April/2007 and March/2008. Eighty four taxa species were identified, 41 belonging to 25 families at the initial forest and 24 belonging to 13 families at the advanced forest. The dominant life form was arboreous and the dispersion syndrome was zoochory. The mean seed density at the initial forest was 637.5 seeds/m(2), while at the advanced forest it was 124.6 seeds/m(2). The Sorensen index of 55% indicated low floristic similarity between the seeds of the species found in the seed rain at the two forest portions evaluated.