Forest dynamics and carbon stocks in Rio Doce State Park – an Atlantic rainforest hotspot

• Published in: Current science (Bangalore) Vol. 100; no. 12; pp. 1855 - 1862
• Main Authors: Metzker, Thiago, Spósito, Tereza C., Martins, Mariana T. F., Horta, Marise B., Garcia, Queila S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Current Science Association 25.06.2011
• Subjects: Biomass; Forest conservation; Mortality; Old growth forests; Palm trees; RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS; Secondary forests; Trees; Tropical forests; Tropical rain forests; Woody vines; ASW, Brazil
• ISSN: 0011-3891

Tropical forests are significant biodiversity epicentres and work as important modulators of climatic change. In natural cycles, carbon stocks are regulated by vegetation dynamics through the rates of mortality, recruitment and turnover. This study was conducted in five permanent monitoring plots (1 ha each: total 5 ha) in the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP), the most continuous Atlantic Forest remaining in Minas Gerais, Brazil and considered one of the world's hotspots. The aboveground biomass ranged from 201 Mg/ha in the primary forest to 92 Mg/ha in the secondary forest. The recruitment rate (1.8) was higher than the mortality rate (1.1); however, the average diameter of dead trees was higher than that of the recruited trees. Notwithstanding this result, the internal diametric increment (ingrowth) in RDSP was compensated by the biomass loss of dead trees, producing positive growth in the annual biomass and increasing their carbon stocks by 1.0 Mg C/ha/yr. Interest in conservation and management of tropical forests has intensified since the 2007 IPCC results. Thus, our study provides data that will help calibrate the use of international methodologies in local projects using data previously collected with a standardized methodology.