Growth and mortality of Sterculia pruriens, Vouacapoua americana, Jacaranda copaia, Protium paraensis, Newtonia suaveolens and Tabebuia serratifolia regarding different gap sizes, had been evaluated in Moju Pará Brazil(2º07'30"S and 2º12'06"S and longitude 48º46'57"W and 48º48'30"W). Nine gaps from forest harvesting had been selected and grouped in small gaps(200m²<Área<400m²), medium-sized gaps(400m²<Área<600m²) and large gaps(Área>600m²). Around the gaps square plots 5m side had been installed, starting in the gap border to forest inside, according to North, South, East and West directions. In these plots seedlings from natural regeneration of tree species were planted. In the each gap center was installed a square plot of 5m side as testimony, where the plantation was repeated. The total mortality average was 46.9%, not showing significant differences between the small gaps (41,05%) and medium-sized gaps (43,86%) but these had differed from the large gaps (54,96%). The small gaps environment was most favorable for the establishment of most species, except for J.copaia and N. suaveolens whose mortalities had been lesser in the medium-sized gaps, even so has not had significant differences in mortality between the different gap sizes. Mortality varied from 14,5%(S. pruriens) in the small gaps to 70,1%(V. americana) in large gaps, but S. pruriens showed lesser mortality in all sizes of gap. All species had shown greater mortality in large gaps, with remark for V. americana (70,1%), J. copaia (69,1%) and N. suaveolens (58,7%). The mortality are between those finding in literature and for its variability they allow to conclude that if it cannot classify accurately the species in ecological groups only on mortality or survival basis. In terms of growth, however, the results are more conclusive, with evident indication of the medium-sized gaps as the best sites for development of the species, with average height growth of 15cm and base diameter growth 0,16cm, followed for the large gaps and for small ones. In general terms, the height growth average was 11,34cm and the base diameter ones was 0,11cm, with maximum values of 32,5cm (height) and 0,24cm (diameter of base) for J. copaia. P. paraensis and V. americana only had not presented significant differences in height growth regarding to different gap sizes, but the values had been a little bigger in the medium-sized gaps. The species growth and mortality, in two years of monitoring, had presented variations in relation to the different gap sizes. J. copaia and N. suaveolens had presented performance better, as much in terms of mortality as of growth in height and diameter of base in the medium-sized gaps, however this mortality was high in comparison with S. pruriens. It must, therefore, be care when taking silvicultural decisions like as thinning, because it was verified differences even though between species considered of the same ecological group.
seedlings growth and mortality; natural regeneration; artificial gaps; tropical forest
