Avaliação e manejo adaptativo em áreas sob processo de restauração florestal

Abstract

In recent decades there has been a considerable increase in research involving forest restoration, addressing important aspects related to assessment and adaptive management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the restoration process in forest ecosystems in order to propose, perform and monitor adaptive management actions and to evaluate the perception of local residents about the restoration process implemented. The study areas are located in Timbaúba/PE, with two restoration areas (A1 and A2) and one reference area (ER). For the evaluation of the areas (A1, A2 and ER), ecological indicators were used: 1) Structure; 2) Composition; 3) Landscape (connectivity and distance of fragments); 4) Antropic disturbances (trails, fire, rubbish and presence of animals) and 5) Function (litter and natural regeneration). In area A2, after the restoration monitoring, the canopy was opened in three classes as an adaptive management technique. In order to verify the influence of canopy opening, shrub and tree individuals with height ≥ 0.20 m and CAP1, 30 m ˂ 15.0 cm were quantified. To support the discussions about regeneration in the area, the soil seed bank was also evaluated. Semistructured interviews were also carried out with the residents of the Engenho Boa Vista (EBV) and Engenho Cumbe (EC) communities, around the areas undergoing restoration. In the A1 area, 147 individuals (588 ind.ha-1) of shrub and tree species were sampled, distributed in 20 species; in the A2, 109 individuals (436 ind.ha-1), belonging to 13 species, and in the ER, 261 individuals (696 ind.ha-1) were sampled, distributed in 39 species. The ER obtained the highest values for species richness and diversity indexes when compared to areas under restoration. In the A2 area, the low natural regeneration is the limiting factor of the restoration process, affecting the follow-up of the successional trajectory. A total of 512 (2276 ind.ha-1) individuals were sampled in the survey prior to the opening of the canopy, and after 12 months of opening the number of individuals sampled was 984 (4373 ind.ha-1). In the plots that received the management, seven species were recorded, exclusively, after the canopy was opened. Results regarding the abundance and recruitment of regenerating individuals were notoriously higher in the plots receiving the management. The density of the soil seed bank was 3302 seedlings per m², distributed between herbaceous and shrub. Regarding the perception of the residents about the restoration, 100% of EBV respondents stated that the restoration project brought benefits to the population, such as: climate improvement (100%), animal shelter (41.7%), and the most beautiful landscape (41.7%). In the EC community, 66.6% of the interviewees also confirmed that the planting brought benefits to the community, highlighting the improvement of the climate (100%), regulation of the level and temperature of the river water (83.3%) and landscape (33.3%). The evaluation of the areas under restoration evidenced the need for adaptive management actions in the A1, which provided an increase in the number of regenerating individuals. The population has a good perception about the environment and the forest restoration, however, some of its actions interfere negatively in the process of restoration of the areas.