Use history and structure of the arboreal vegetation of the forest fragments in Alter do Chão - Pará
Disturbed, Ethnospecies, Basal area.
The main objective of this work was to evaluate and relate the effect of anthropic action on
the tree structure of the forest fragments (FF) of the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of
Alter do Chão, located in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. An anthropogenic disturbance indicator was
constructed with interviews to classify the FFs for the degree of anthropic disturbance and
less disturbed and disturbed FF were compared by pairs from spatial groupings (size and
distance with continuous forest). With the interviews also the useful forest species and their
uses were known. The selected FF trees were measured in plots of 10x250 m², measuring
plants with diameter at breast height (DBH≥1cm) in two meters from a central line and in the
remaining 8 m trees with DBH≥10 cm. The utility value (UV) of useful forest species was
determined by dividing tree use by the number of respondents. The most useful forest species
are, Camaen (Casearia commersoniana Cambess), Carapucuzeiro (Myrcia hatschbachii D.
Legrand). They are more present in less disturbed and larger FF. In three pairs of FF the mean
basal area (BA) was higher in those less disturbed. It is concluded that the tree structures of
the forest fragments of the Alter do Chão Environmental Protection Area are similar.
Although in those most disturbed there are less useful forest species and lower total basal
area.