No abstract

Forests in the southwestern Amazon are rich, diverse, and dense. The region is of high ecological importance, is crucial for conservation and management of natural resources, and contains substantial carbon and biodiversity stocks. Nevertheless, few studies have developed allometric equations for this part of the Amazon, which differs ecologically from the parts of Amazonia where most allometric studies have been done. To fill this gap, we developed allometric equations to estimate the volume, biomass, and carbon in commercial trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 50 cm in an area under forest management in the southeastern portion of Brazil’s state of Acre. We applied the Smalian formula to data collected from 223 felled trees in 20 species, and compared multiple linear and nonlinear models. The models used diameter (DBH) measured at 1.30 m height (d), length of the commercial stem (l), basic wood density (p), and carbon content (t), as independent variables. For each dependent variable (volume, biomass, or carbon) we compared models using multiple measures of goodness-of-fit, as well as graphically analyzing residuals. The best fit for estimating aboveground volume of individual stems using diameter (d) and length (l) as variables was obtained with the Spurr model (1952; logarithmic) (root mean square error (RMSE) = 1.637, R² = 0.833, mean absolute deviation (MAD) = 1.059). The best-fit equation for biomass, considering d, l, and p as the explanatory variables, was the Loetsch et al. (1973; logarithmic) model (RMSE = 1.047, R² = 0.855, MAD = 0.609). The best fit equation for carbon was the Loetsch et al. (1973; modified) model, using the explanatory variables d, l, p, and t (RMSE = 0.530, R² = 0.85, MAD = 0.304). Existing allometric equations applied to our study trees performed poorly. We showed that the use of linear and nonlinear allometric equations for volume, biomass, and carbon can reduce the errors and improve the estimation of these metrics for the harvested stems of commercial species in the southwestern Amazon.

Corneal properties appear to differ between glaucoma patients and healthy controls. Our results emphasize the importance of corneal biomechanical properties in IOP interpretation and should support further studies on the influence of CH and CCT in glaucoma screening and diagnosis.

RESUMOOs estudos direcionados para quantificação de estoques de carbono fixado por florestas naturais estão em ampla evidência, assim como a discussão sobre a efetividade da recuperação de áreas degradadas como estratégia para reduzir os níveis de CO 2 atmosférico. Neste sentido, tiveram-se dois objetivos neste artigo: i) quantificar o estoque de carbono presente na biomassa da parte aérea de um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual Montana, pertencente ao Bioma Mata Atlântica no estado de Minas Gerais e ii) incorporar a variável estoque de carbono na estrutura horizontal da análise fitossociológica e comparar os resultados aos obtidos pela metodologia padrão, sem utilizar essa variável no cálculo do valor de importâncias das espécies. Os resultados indicam que o estoque de carbono encontrado equivale a fragmentos em estágio médio de sucessão, e que a utilização da variável carbono influencia sobremaneira o valor de importância das espécies. Esta metodologia serve como suporte para a escolha de espécies arbóreas de maior potencial para sequestrar carbono e pode subsidiar programas de restauração de remanescentes florestais do Bioma de Mata Atlântica. Palavras-chave: Mata Atlântica; estoque de carbono; sequestro de carbono; estrutura horizontal. ABSTRACTThe studies directed to quantify the carbon fixed stocks by natural forests are in ample evidence, as well as discussion about the effectiveness of the recovery of degraded areas as a strategy to reduce atmospheric CO 2 levels. In this sense, this study had two purposes: i) quantify the carbon stocks present in the shoot biomass of a tropical semi-deciduous Montana fragment, which belongs to the Atlantic Forest biome in Minas Gerais state and; ii) incorporate the variable carbon stock in the horizontal phytosociological analysis structure and compare the results to those obtained by the standard methodology without using the variable in the calculation of the species importance value. The results indicate that the carbon stock equals to the fragments found at the intermediate succession stage, and that the carbon variable use greatly influences the species importance value. This methodology serves as a support for the selection of species which present the greatest potential to sequester carbon and may support programs for the remnant restoration of the Atlantic Forest biome.

PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE, VOLUME STOCKS, BIOMASS, CARBON AND CARBON DIOXIDE IN SEASONAL SEMIDECIDUOS FOREST