ESTRUTURA E COMPOSIÇÃO FLORÍSTICA DE DOIS FRAGMENTOS DA FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL DO ALTO-URUGUAI, SC FLORISTIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF TWO SEASONAL DECIDUOUS FOREST PATCHES IN ALTO-URUGUAI, SC

In two forest remnants located in Seasonal Deciduous Atlantic Forest of Alto-Uruguai region of Southern Brazil, the plots (MP) and point-centered-quarter (MQ) methods were used aiming to characterize the floristic richness and structural composition. 91 species were identified, 52 of them were classified as understory species (without timber value), being the most abundant Sorocea bonplandii, Gimnanthes concolor and Trichilia claussenii species. The others were classified as timber species, being the most abundant Apuleia leiocarpa, Nectandra megapotamica, Cabralea canjerana, and Holocalyx balansae. The species of higher density and basal area were practically the same in both forest patches, independently from the inventory method used. The MP detected a higher number of species diversity as well as the higher value for plant density by area, comparatively to MQ, although both methods detected different species. The simultaneous use of MQ and MP resulted in a higher coverage of species diversity in both areas, with a reduction in time to perform the inventory. In both methods, sampling error above of the expected value was detected, but the smaller these values, the greater the similarity among the results provided by both methods. Unfortunately, the species richness occurring in the FED contrasts with the small number of remaining patches in this ecosystem. It is important to highlight that these patches are the last repositories for seed to be used in colonizing degraded areas as well as for conservation, improvement and in situ seed bank program with native plant species.