A structural analysis of the mangrove forest at the Paraíba do Sul river estuary was performed using the stand method. The stands were demarcated in two points both at the forest edge and interior. The results indicate that average height varied from 6.3 to 9.9m; DBH varied from 7.44 to 13.4cm; average basal area varied from 14.5 to 35.3m².ha-1, and average density varied from 1,920 to 3,400 trunks.ha-1 (trees > 1m height). These structural parameters did not differ between the edge and the interior, but the contribution of each species varied between the zones. Avicennia germinans (L.) Stearn. was the dominant species (60%), followed by Rhizophora mangle L. (25%), and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. (15%). These results demonstrate that the mangroves forest at the Paraíba do Sul estuary has a better structural development than other mangrove sites found in the Rio de Janeiro State (e.g., those mangrove forests located at the Sepetiba and Guanabara bays).
vegetation structure; Paraíba do Sul River Estuary; mangrove
