SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT’S RESERVOIR ON THE TREE COMPONENT IN AN ECOTONAL AREA IN SANTA CATARINA

ABSTRACT This study was conducted in an ecotonal area between the Mixed Ombrophilous Forest (MOF) and the Deciduous Seasonal Forest (DSF) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, to identify the impact of the water reservoir of the Garibaldi hydroelectric power plant on the mortality and floristic-structural composition of the tree component in a riparian forest adjacent to it. One year after the reservoir water filling, 48 200 m2 plots were systematically allocated in three sectors: adjacent to the water reservoir, intermediate slope and upper slope. The tree species individuals with circumference at breast height (CBH) > 15.7 cm were identified and measured (CBH); dead individuals were quantified. The geographic coordinates of each plot were obtained. Species diversity was analyzed by Shannon and Pielou indexes and the floristic-structural organization was evaluated through phytosociological estimates, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Mantel test. Variations on mortality and floristic-structural organization regarding environmental sectors were tested with Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). 70 species have been found in the community with Shannon and Pielou values of 3.10 and 0.73, respectively. Dead individuals have shown the second highest importance value (9.59%) with the highest mortality in the lower sector (p < 0.05), which may be associated with its proximity to the water surface. The community organization has shown spatial structure; however, the NMDS and GLMs have shown no floristic-structural differentiation among sectors, probably on account of the short period of exposure to reservoir filling impacts.