This work aimed to evaluate the rate of survival and the initial development of eleven native tree species established in existing pastures of Brachiaria brizantha at the Beef Cattle Center (Campo Grande, MS). The soil is a dystrophic clay Dark- Red Latosoil. The seedlings were planted in 16 rows, with 10 m between rows and 4 m between plants in a row. It was used a completely randomized design with four replicates. Each row contained at least one seedling of all the trees evaluated. A repeat was composed of four rows. The Tukey test (P=0,05) showed significant differences between the survival means, indicating that the seedling container and ecological succession groups (pioneer, early secondary, late secondary and climax) affected the results. The highest survival rates were found for the ipê (Tabebuia impetiginosa), caroba (Jacaranda cuspidifolia) and aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva). The highest rates of relative growth (P=0,05) in 12 months were observed for chico-magro (Guazuma ulmifolia), caroba (J. cuspidifolia) and canafístula (Peltophorum dubium). The growth rates of the pioneer species were higher (P=0,05) than the more advanced ecological groups in the successional scale (late secondary and climax). The differences increased over the time and during rainy season (P=0,05). The results indicated the use of three species to be established in the existing pasture of the Cerrado (savannahs), considering the increments in height, stem diameter and survival rate: chico-magro (G. ulmifolia), caroba (J. decurrens) and canafístula (Peltophorum dubium). The three species belong to the initial successional group.
Cattle; ecological succession; ecological groups
