The relief of the human damage caused on natural ecosystems is not recent in Brazil. Forest plantations have been established since XIX century, although only recently it have been based on a conceptual framework; before that plantations were planned to attend specific purposes, such as eroding control, embankment slopes, visual improvement, among others. The development of ecological concepts and theories, mostly in the last 50 years, promoted relevant changes on restoration projects, which evolved to consider the environment’s self-regeneration potential. This study was developed at a degraded site within the Legal Reserve of the airport of Registro, SP, located at Ribeira Valley. The main purpose was to evaluate the alochtonous seed bank transference potential as a restoration technique. Transference of alochtonous propagules is an usual technique for mining areas restoration around the world. In these cases the propagules bank (topsoil) is usually spread as a thick layer (20 – 50cm) over the target area. Here the topsoil was spread over sulcos (arroyos, wales), accepting the idea that with this technique a certain amount of topsoil may recover a larger area, enhancing its income/output. Thus, the regenerative potential of the topsoil was tested over four experimental treatments: attester (Control), Calcareous/Limestone (Ca), initial Calcareous + Nitrogen (Ca+Ni) and on surface Calcareous + Nitrogen (Ca+Nc). Each treatment was allocated into 0.3m x 0.3m x 20m (1.8m3) furrows and repeated four times, in a total of 16 furrows (28.8m3). Topsoil was collected at a 20cm depth, sampled by twelve 3.0m x 3.0m x 0.2m (1.8m2) plots, distributed without direction within secondary forest remnants in late sucessional stages, in the logged area. Topsoil was removed with hoe and bagged into 100L raffia bags. Therefore, each bag was fulfilled with 60L (~70Kg) only. To follow the pattern, 18L paint tin box were used to keep an average number of 3,3 paint tin box per bag. This volume correspond to an average of 21.33 sacos per plot. From September 2006 to September 2007, emergence, growth, recruitment and mortality were monitored. A total of 538 individuals (shrubs and trees) of 40 species were recorded, in a total area of 96m2. After 12 twelve months 409 individuals survived. Control treatment presented the highest individuals and species quantities, the lowest growth rates and mortality. The other treatments revealed that fertilizers indulge growth, with neutral or negative effects over demais evaluated parameters.
