Diferentes processos de amostragem alteram a caracterização florística-estrutural e as estimativas de produção?

The present study had as objective to analyze the efficiency of different sampling processes in relation to the forest census regarding floristic-structural characterization and production information (volume and biomass) in Cerradao area. Initially, a forest census was carried out on the Cerradao fragment in the Lajeado state park, Palmas / TO (2.16 ha), where all live and dead trees with DBH (diameter at breast-height - 1,30 m) equal to or greater than 5 cm. After the census, 18 plots (400 m²) were launched for the simple random sampling (ACS) and systematic sampling (AS). Thus, the numbers of individuals, species, family, basal area, volume and aerial biomass per hectare were estimated. The species diversity was obtained by the Shannon and Pielou indices. The community was characterized by Hill's rarefaction / extrapolation integrated curves. To analyze the spatial distribution of the species, the Morisita dispersion index was calculated, while the similarity of the processes was measured by the Jaccard index. Then, the importance value index was obtained to characterize the horizontal structure. The results showed that the confidence intervals for the number of individuals and basal area obtained by the ACS process encompassed the census value, while the range obtained for the basal area by the AS processes did not encompass the census. The ACS and AS processes were able to estimate the Jaccard similarity index by more than 70%, as well as species composition, richness and diversity. The species presented, in the main, aggregate distribution. In the quantification of the volume and biomass, both processes did not differ statistically between themselves and the forest census, however the census was very close to the maximum limit of the confidence interval obtained by the AS process. It is concluded that the ACS and AS sampling processes can be used to characterize the floristic composition and the community structure, but for the estimation of the production (volume and biomass) and basal area the AS process is not recommended.