SEED REMOVAL IN AN ATLANTIC FOREST FRAGMENT AND A RESTORATION SITE IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

In ecological restoration, the loss of seeds can be a major constraint to the establishment of seedlings and thus for the continuity of the forest succession process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal/predation of seeds in an area being restored (6.5 years old). We introduced seeds of six native tree species (five non-pioneers and one pioneer) into the restoration site, and also in an adjacent forest fragment, used as a control. Seed removal was greater in the forest fragment (56%) than in the restoration site (16%) for the whole set of species analyzed, and was more frequent during the first 15 days after exposure. In the forest fragment, four of the six species had more than 65% of their seeds removed. In the restoration site, seed removal did not surpass 40% for a single species and was lower than 5% for two species. The proportion of damaged seeds did not differ between environments (3.6% in the native forest and 7.6% in the area being restored). Our results indicate that post-dispersal seed removal is not a barrier to the establishment of tree species in the restoration site, suggesting that the secondary succession can be constrained by factors related to seed germination and/or seedling establishment.