Shrub Fuel Characteristics in the Private Natural Heritage Reserve Caminho Das Tropas, Paraná – Brazil

Abstract

This research was carried out in the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (PNHR) “Caminho das Tropas”, located in Palmeira, Paraná state - Brazil, in an area dominated by natural fields. The objective was to characterize the shrub fuel of the grassy-woody steppe in the area. For the sampling, an area of 25 hectares was fenced and 100 plots sized 50 x 50 m (0.25 ha) were allocated. The plots were grouped into two treatments: one containing over 50% density and the other less than 50% density and regular distribution of shrub vegetation. The average load of fuel obtained for the first category was 1.2886 Mg.ha-1, being 0.9667 Mg.ha-1of living material and 0.3219 Mg.ha-1 of dead material. For the second category, the load was 0.9328 Mg.ha-1 , with 0.6516 and 0.2812 Mg.ha-1of live and dead fuel respectively. The average moisture content of the fuel in the first treatment was 87.90% and in the second, 81.49%. The characteristics found in the shrub fuel of the study area are compatible with the results found in the literature for Brazilian natural grasslands vegetation.