Martini, A.M.Z., Jardim, J.G. & Santos, F.A.M. 2002. Natural regeneration in a tropical forest: a comparison among understorey, treefall gaps and burned areas. 45th Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science, p. 114.

Abstract: Natural regeneration was studied in 6 recent treefall gaps, 6 plots in a burned area, and 6 plots in each understorey areas close to these disturbed environments, at the Atlantic Forest in Southern Bahia, Brazil. All plants 20 cm to 5 m height were sampled in six 1 m2 subplots, randomly set in each gap/plot. Average number of individuals ranged from 49 to 60 per plot, but did not differ among environments (ANOVA F = 0.345, p = 0.793). Species richness ranged from 103 in burned area to 136 in gaps, and from 114 to 133 species in understorey areas. Correspondence Analysis clustered plots of the burned area in an isolated group. There was no clear differentiation in the species composition among plots of the other environments. Species composition of the burned area was statistically different from the other environments (Multiple Response Permutation Procedure test, A = 0.0807, p < 0.001). All environments had species with significant indicator values, e.g. herbaceous species Scleria secans and Pteridium aquilinum, and the pioneer tree Miconia mirabilis for burned site, and the fast-growing tree Pourouma mollis for natural treefall gaps. In the understorey Araceae family had many indicator species.