Floristics and Structure of Arboreal Components in a Restored Atlantic Forest Area

Abstract

Background: Coffee and livestock degrade Seasonal Semideciduous Forests in the Zona da Mata region of the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil. The floristic composition must be studied to preserve and conserve forest remnants. The objective was to evaluate the arboreal structure, characterize the seed dispersal syndrome and the ecological group of forest species of a 45-year-old restored area in Viçosa, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The phytosociological parameters density, frequency, dominance and importance value, Shannon's diversity and Pielou's equability were evaluated considering individuals with DBH (diameter at breast height) ≥ 5 cm in sixteen contiguous plots (25 x 25 m). Results: A total of 1,323 individuals from 109 species and 35 botanical families were registered, of which 90 were native and 15 exotic species. The importance value (VI= 11.9%) was highest for Guarea guidonia (Fabaceae). The Shannon's diversity (H') was 3.46 and the equability (J') was 0.74. The number of species (33%) was largest for the initial secondary successional class and the number of individuals with zoochoric dispersion syndrome for the late secondary class (38.3%). The basal area was 44.1 m² ha-1 and the average height was 13 m (ranging from 2 to 32 m). Conclusion: The restored Semideciduous Seasonal Forest is in an advanced successional stage with zoochoric species and a great number of late secondary species.