RESUMO No presente estudo foi avaliada a densidade de recrutas em uma área em restauração florestal previamente ocupada por pastagem de Urochloa brizantha e em uma Floresta Semidecidual. Foi avaliado o efeito da luz disponível sobre a biomassa da grama exótica e investigamos as associações da densidade de recrutamento com as variáveis do solo e a disponibilidade de luz no sub-bosque. A chuva de sementes em ambas as áreas também foi avaliada. A biomassa de U. brizantha foi associada positivamente com a luz disponível e, uma associação negativa foi encontrada entre a densidade de recrutamento e a luz disponível quando consideradas as duas áreas em conjunto. Foi encontrada uma associação negativa entre densidade de recrutamento e pH do solo. Os resultados sugerem que a baixa fertilidade do solo não limitou o recrutamento na Floresta Semidecidual. Os resultados mostraram que a alta disponibilidade de recursos favorece a competitividade da U. Brizantha com espécies nativas, dificultando a restauração florestal em áreas anteriormente utilizadas como pastagens. Assim, práticas que resultem na diminuição da disponibilidade de luz favoreceriam a restauração florestal em áreas nessas condições. Semidecidual subbosque. subbosque sub bosque. bosque sub-bosque U conjunto nativas pastagens Assim condições

ABSTRACT In the present study it was evaluated the density of recruits in an area previously occupied by Urochloa brizantha pasture undergoing forest restoration and in a Semideciduous Forest. Was evaluated the effect of the available light on the biomass of the exotic grass, and investigated associations of recruit density with soil variables and understory light availability. The seed rain in both areas was also evaluated. The biomass of U. brizantha was positively associated with available light and, a negative association was found between recruit density and available light when considering the two areas together. A negative associatio between recruit density and soil pH was found. The results suggest that the low soil fertility did not limited recruitment in the semideciduos forest. The results showed that high resource availability favors the competitivity of U. brizantha, impairing the forest restoration in area previously used as pastures. So, pratices that result in decreasing in light availability would favors the forest restoration in areas previously used as pasture. Forest grass U together pastures So

ABSTRACT We focus on understanding the influence of environmental variables on ecological processes, and such a focus promotes an integrated view of forest ecological patterns. The following questions were made: Do variations in temperature, precipitation, litterfall deposition and light intensity influence the density and composition of seed rain in a stretch of the Montane Atlantic Rainforest? Is there a pattern for dispersal syndrome in Montane Atlantic,? Over a period of 12 months, the deposition patterns of seed rains were evaluated. Seed density and species richness correlated with temperature and precipitation, with species richness decreasing with increasing altitude and seed density increasing as a function of the light incidence. Seed rain followed a seasonal deposition pattern with higher seed density and species richness in the higher rainfall period. Increasing trend in seed density was found in mountainous areas with northern and northeastern aspects (higher light incidences).

ABSTRACT In this study, vegetation reproduction has been investigated in order to understand aspects of speciation, structuring and composition of plant communities. Thus, we sought to characterize the frequency of sexual systems from species recorded in seed rain occurring in a tropical rainforest (Atlantic Forest) in Caparaó National Park, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. We collected the seed rain for twelve months, classified and recorded the species for: sexual system; pollination and dispersion syndrome; and fruit type. Then we measured the correlation between these attributes through correspondence analysis. Regarding sexual systems, 71% were hermaphrodites, 13% dioecious, and 11% monoecious. Hermaphrodites are best associated with pollination, dispersion and fruit types, represented by 65% of data variance. This study may contribute to elaborating management and conservation programs taking into account the interaction of plants with the local fauna.