ESTOQUE DE BIOMASSA E CARBONO EM PLANTIOS DE RECUPERAÇÃO DE MATA CILIAR NO ENTORNO DAS USINAS HIDRELÉTRICAS DE CAMARGOS E VOLTA GRANDE, NO RIO GRANDE - MG/SP.

The objective of this study was to estimate, by the indirect method, the biomass and the carbon accumulated in riparian forest restoration plantings. Twenty-one sites were selected, including degraded areas, disturbed areas and native forest around the reservoirs of the Camargos and Volta Grande hydroelectric power plants, in the Grande river, for estimating the biomass and carbon stock. The results showed that the plantings done in degraded areas were not capable to sequester the atmospheric carbon in the biomass similarly to the native forest fragment, but the plantings in better sites performed this function more efficiently than the native forest. The biomass and the carbon accumulated in the arboreal stratum were higher in the older stands in the better sites. The increments of biomass and carbon were smaller in the stands that suffer frequente disturbances. The older stands did not stock more carbon in the soil than the younger ones, indicating that the riparian forest plantings did not have time yet to perform this function by the litter fall and decomposition of the organic matter. Many of the restoration plantings under better soil conditions, up to the age of 17, played the role of carbon sequestration in a similar or more efficient way than the native forest fragment, showing the potential of ciliary reforestation in sequestration and immobilization of carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]