Studies on reproductive phenology of tree species provide the knowledge needed to define strategies for forest conservation and management. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the reproductive phenology of woody species in secondary forests of the Atlantic Rain Forest. From June/1998 to July/1999, flowering and fructification periods of five to 41 reproductive trees of 19 species were evaluated in an area displaying vegetation characteristic of an advanced stage of succession, located in São Pedro de Alcântara - Santa Catarina. Flowering and fructification observations were made every other week. The proportion of plants that produced flowers and fruits ranged from 5.5% to 80.0% (average 28.4%), depending on the species. The minimum DBH for a plant to produce fruits ranged from 5.6 to 21.5 cm. For most species, flowering occurred between October and January and fructification from January to March. In addition to these factors, the reproductive phenophases are also dependent on the ecosystem where they grow. This is why several species showed different reproductive periods compared to those observed in other regions. Thus, this work stresses the need of specific studies for the elaboration of a forest management plan for native timber species and seed collecting strategies.
Flowering; fructification; forest management; timber species
