The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of direct seeding of liana species in the understory of a restoring forest. Seeds of the species Phanera sp., Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H. Gentry, and Peltastes peltatus (Vell.) Woodson were submitted to germination tests considering the presence and absence of light and temperature cycle variation. These species were also planted under a canopy of four tree species in a 21-year-old restored forest in Iracemápolis, São Paulo State, Brazil. Macfadyena unguis-cati was the only species presenting a positive photoblastic characteristic, while the two other tested species were not affected by light or temperature cycle. In the understory, Peltastes peltatus did not emerge. In the two other species, seed germination was not influenced by the selected tree species. These results suggest that despite the low rate of emergence, it is possible to enhance the diversity of forest by restoring it through direct seeding of some liana species.
forest restoration; germination; seasonal semideciduous forests; understorey
