EFFECT OF SOLAR RADIATION ON NATURAL REGENERATIONOF MANGROVE IN CUIARANA, SALINÓPOLIS, PARÁ, BRAZIL

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of incident solar radiation on the dynamics of natural regeneration of the species in a mangrove forest in the Paraense coast, Brazil. The study was conducted from November 2014 to October 2015, in the experimental site of Cuiarana, in 5 plots of 400m², 4 natural and 1 control (sombrite 50%). Phytosociological parameters were used to evaluate floristic composition and horizontal structure. Global radiation (Q_g) was obtained from meteorological data of the micrometeorological towers of the site. The spatio-temporal variability of species under Q_g was accounted for by factorial analysis in main components, Tukey and Student’s t tests at 95% confidence. There were 25,772 specimens distributed in 3 families, 3 genera and 3 species. The Student’s t test did not show statistically significant differences between abundances in rainy and less rainy seasons. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) extracted 2 components that explain 91.5% of the variance. Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa showed tolerant growth at 50% shading.