Natural regeneration in the understory of an ecotonal forest in Upper Uruguay region, Santa Catarina

This dissertation aimed to understand the natural regeneration pattern of tree species in the understory of an ecotonal forest, in Upper Uruguay region, in Santa Catarina State. For this, the description of the regenerative component was conducted along the forest vertical profile and in function of topographic position. On a slope next to the water reservoir of Barra Grande dam, in Pelotas river, in the municipality of Capão Alto, 30 sampling units (s.u.) were stratified-systematically allocated, 10 m apart each other in each stratum, in sectors defined in function of topographic position: lower stratum (10 s.u.), on the reservoir margin, intermediary stratum (10 s.u.), on the middle of slope, and upper stratum (10 s.u.), next to the ridge. The sampling units areas differed in function of plant sizes: Class 1 (plants with height greater than 0.2 m up to 1m, s.u. = 5m2), Class 2 (plants greater than 1 up to 3 m high), Class 3 (plant with height greater than 3 m and circumference at breast height, cbh3m e com CAP