The objective of this work was to evaluate the succession dynamics, growth and production of a secondary dense ombrophylous forest, after vine cutting. The silvicultural treatment was performed to promote a rapid return of the forest to its primary conditions, or, at least, to shorten the time interval between two successive cutting cycles. Data were collected on an experiment established in 1989 measured every two years at the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve, which is located between the municipalities of Linhares and Jaguaré, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Sampling was systematic, and all the individual trees with dbh < 5.0 cm were considered as pertaining to natural regeneration. The effects of the treatment upon floristic composition, species diversity, and natural regeneration structure were evaluated in each monitoring period. It was concluded that, for all the categories analysed, great positive variations occurred in the natural regeneration rates and in the increase of the basal area of these individuals during monitoring. This indicates that this forest compartment was most benefitted from the treatment, as well as, indirectly, the arboreal stratum, with the ingrowth of these individuals. Thus, vine cutting favoured the secondary succession dynamics, decreasing the competition for space, nutrients and light, allowing natural regeneration development and a great increase of the ingrowth rate of new individuals in the arboreal stratum.
Natural regeneration; Ombrophylous Dense Forest; secondary forest; cutting vines; silvicultural treatment
