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Tree seedling survival and growth in logged and undisturbed seasonal deciduous forest fragments in central Brazil

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Journal of Forest Research

Abstract

We evaluated the survival and growth of Amburana cearensis, Cedrela fissilis, and Sterculia striata seedlings in three seasonally tropical dry forest fragments that were subjected to different logging levels (intact, intermediately and heavily logged). In each fragment, we planted 40 seedlings of each species and monitored these over a period of 1 year. The highest seedling survival rate (64%) occurred in the heavily logged fragment, which, however, also had the highest mortality risk for all species during the dry season. Only S. striata seedlings had different survival rates among the fragments. Height and diameter growth were higher at sites with higher canopy openness in the wet season. The survival and growth rates of seedlings planted in logged fragments indicate that this technique can be applied to restore and enrich logged forests of the Paranã River Basin.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia and Fundo Nacional de Meio Ambiente (FNMA). The first author received a fellowship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). We are indebted to Daniel Vieira, Alexandre Bonesso, Anderson Sevilha, and Mauricio Bonesso for productive discussions and for help in analyzing and interpreting the results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Embrapa Acre, Rodovia BR-364, km 14, PO Box 321, 69908-970, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

    Ernestino de Souza Gomes Guarino

  2. Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Parque Estação Biológica, Av. W5 Norte (final), PO Box 02372, 70770-917, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil

    Aldicir Osni Scariot

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  1. Ernestino de Souza Gomes Guarino
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  2. Aldicir Osni Scariot
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Correspondence to Ernestino de Souza Gomes Guarino.

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de Souza Gomes Guarino, E., Scariot, A.O. Tree seedling survival and growth in logged and undisturbed seasonal deciduous forest fragments in central Brazil. J For Res 17, 193–201 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-011-0294-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-011-0294-1

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