ABSTRACT
This study was conducted at the Estação de Pesquisas, Treinamento e Educação Ambiental Mata do Paraíso, located in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and its goal is to evaluate the stem flow of the trees of a fragment of Atlantic Forest, from August 2009 to March 2011. In order to quantify the stem flow six plots were demarcated, measuring 10 m x 10 m. In each plot polyurethane based collectors were adapted on the stem of the tree with circumference 15.0 cm. A rain gauge was installed in an open area to quantify the water directly from the rain. In addition, a qualitative analysis of the trees was performed regarding the stem flow, evaluating the quality of the stem and canopy, its location inside the forest and the level of lianas infestation. Considering the whole period of analysis, 75 measurements were performed. In the plots where the stem flow was quantified, 126 trees were sampled, distributed in 29 families and 59 species. The gross precipitation reached 2391.63 mm and the stem flow represented 31.59 mm, or 1.32% of the gross precipitation. The species with the greater stem flow wasEuterpe edulis, with a stem flow average of 637.00 liters. Among the species with the greater stem flow, 73.91% are located in the lower stratum of the forest, showing that some species have a type of morphological adaptation to capture rainwater.
Keywords:; Atlantic Forest; Forest hydrology; Stem flow
