STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF THE LAURACEAE COMMUNITY DURING 1995-2004 IN AN ARAUCARIA FOREST, SOUTHERN PARANÁ STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

Several species of Lauraceae family are among the most common ones in the Araucaria Forest. They have good silvicultural and economic potential, but unfortunately they are still very poorly studied. This paper analyzes the structural changes of eight species of Lauraceae family during 1995-2004 in a forest located in the center-south region of Parana State, Brazil. The species were investigated through structural and dynamic indicators: importance value (IVI), abundance, basal area, trunk volume, diameter distribution, spatial pattern, recruitment, mortality and increments. The results showed that the structural position of the Lauraceae family was kept almost unaltered in the community during the ten-year period. It was also noticed that the Lauraceae family is increasing in terms of abundance due to the fact that recruitment has been greater than mortality. However, growth rates have been very low, either in diameter and basal area/volume. Although most Lauraceae species show a slow dynamic behavior, some of them have experienced an intense chance process, such as Canela-amarela (Nectandra grandiflora Nees & Mart. ex Nees) which increased most of its structural and dynamic indicators, becoming the most remarkable species among all those studied. This species showed recruitment greater than mortality, a J-shaped diameter distribution and very wide spatial distribution. These elements have turned this species one of the three most important in the community together with Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze and Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. It was concluded that, in ten years, it is already possible to distinguish important ecological processes that may be very useful in formulating Management Plans for similar Araucaria forests.