No abstract

Forest restoration, which consists of restoring a degraded forest ecosystem as close as possible to its original condition, has a rapid recovery in Brazil due to the growing demand for environmental regularization of productive activities and to mitigate environmental problems. The aim of this study was to compare areas in different stages of recovery in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) by analyzing vegetation, soil organic matter and leaf area index. The present study was developed in APPs in the municipality of Canaã dos Carajás / Pará with different uses, being: pasture (control), native forest (reference), natural regeneration and active recovery through the planting of native seedlings, these areas being subdivided into one, two and three years after the intervention and planting. In all areas, three random locations were selected and 3 plots of 10 x 20 meters were installed, thus totaling 9 plots per area. In each of these plots, all trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) equal to or greater than 3 cm were recorded, and their height and diameter were measured. Samples composed of depths from 0 to 10 cm, and determination of the leaf area index were performed with the LAI-2200C equipment. After carrying out all the analyzes, it was observed that plant restoration advances over time in the areas where seedlings of native species were planted, and the area of natural regeneration has a strong similarity to the planting area of two years. The results suggest that the intervention and planting of seedlings favors areas under restoration, which, over the years, tend to become more and more similar to the reference areas.