EDGE EFFECT AND DYNAMICS OF WOODY PLANTS IN AREA OF CAATINGA VEGETATION IN CANAUBAIS, RN

Abstract

Considering the importance of studies in communities dynamics, especially in vegetation sites with anthropogenic disturbs as Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil, was evaluate the edge effect caused by the opening of a oil duct on the dynamics of plants in three physiognomies of Caatinga (open shrub, riparian shrub dense and shrub dense) over 15 months (May/2007, January/2008 and August/2008), taking into account the hypothesis that there are differences in the dynamics in areas near edge and more distant. In each situations were evaluated edge and interior, so much in terms of trees in five plots of 10 x 10 m contiguous as of regeneration of the plants in plots of 2 x 2 m. Were calculate mortality, recruitment and growth rates in the edge and interior. Most important differences in terms of edge and interior occurred in open shrub Caatinga. The largest fluctuations in the values of density and diameter occurred at the edge, which indicates that the opening of the duct caused greater interference in this situation.