Composição florística, estrutura e quantificação do estoque de carbono em florestas restauradas com idades diferentes

Abstract

The recognition of environmental services provided by forests has increased demands for ecosystem restoration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure of reforested areas, by collecting data on phytosociology, as well as assessment of aboveground biomass and carbon stocks of four mixed reforested areas with eight, 23, 55 and 94 years-old. The study areas were located in the State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, within the municipalities of Santa Barbara d ́Oeste (BAN), Iracemapolis (IR), Cosmopolis (COS) and Rio Claro (RC). Permanent monitoring plots were placed systematically in each area (300 m2 and 360m2) for sampling all individual trees with diameter at breast height ≥5cm. The density of individuals (ind.ha-1) and the basal area (m2.ha-1) increased with age of reforested areas. The tree families Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Rutaceae presented the highest species richness of the four study areas, which was similar to other semi deciduous forests of São Paulo state. Species richness and diversity in the study areas were higher than the values obtained for other reforested areas in São Paulo state, but similar to native forests of the region. The regional native species with zoochoric syndrome dispersal were predominant in the four study areas. However, exotic species (including invasive species) were also present. The species with higher values of importance were Inga vera, Albizia lebbeck, Mimosa bimucronata (BAN), Melia azedarach, Leucaena leucocephala, Nectandra megapotamica (IR), Tipuana tipu, Cariniana estrellensis, Trichilia claussenii (COS), Erythroxylum pulchrum, Anadenanthera colubrina, Joannesia princeps (RC). There was no floristic similarity among the four study areas, and this result was expected because the study areas have different ages, as well as different models of reforestation. The presence of regenerants that colonized the areas of IR, COS and RC may indicate that ecological processes such as seed dispersal may have been established. The mean of aboveground biomass, assessed through two allometric equations obtained from the literature, and carbon stocks increased with age of reforested areas. This result was expected because the allometric equations used in this study were originally designed for trees with specific diameter intervals. The carbon stocks in the study areas varied between 39,56 and 166,55 MgC.ha-1 (equation 1) and 34,43 to 104,05 MgC.ha- 1 (equation 2), which are similar to the results obtained for some natural semi deciduous forests. The rates of biomass and carbon annual increment decreased with age of reforestation, suggesting that recent reforested areas may be more effective on carbon sequestration than older reforested areas. The native pioneer species presented high value of carbon storage in the four study areas. Because the difference in these results by using both allometric equations was statistically significant, it is suggested to select the more suitable equation by taking into account the diameter intervals originally used to adjust the equation.