ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to describe the vegetation structure and the spatial distribution patterns of tree and shrub species in one hectare of a Mixed Ombrophylous Forest, localized in the County of Nova Prata, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Using the fixed area method, were installed 20 samples of 10 x 50 m (500 m2), completing one sample of the 100 x 100 m (10000 m2) and measured all individuals with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9,6 cm (30 cm of circumference), that make up the canopy of the forest. The sample of vegetation studied showed a medium diversity of arboreal and shrub species (55 species with DBH ≥ 9,6 cm) and a large density of individuals per ha (848 individuals/ha), similar to the ones found in secondary forests, in the domain of the Mixed Ombrophylous Forest. The vegetation in the sample presented a larger proportion of species aggregated or with aggregation tendency (46,7 %), revealing that the larger tree population make up small spots or groups in the vegetation, with larger values obtained for the Variance/Average rate. This study, even though treating of a small spatial scale analyze (10000 m2), depict the density and the distribution of the arboreal and shrubs species in a part of secondary forest, that was damaged by commercial exploitation important fragment of the present forests of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Key words:
spatial distribution; Mixed Ombrophylous Forest; phytossociology