CANOPY OPENNESS AND LAI ESTIMATES IN TWO SEASONALLY DECIDUOUS FORESTS ON LIMESTONE OUTCROPS IN CENTRAL BRAZIL USING HEMISPHERICAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Patches of seasonally dry tropical forests occur on limestone outcrops in Central Brazil surrounded by the dominant savanna vegetation. They contain valuable timber species but are threatened by farming and mining activities. The objective of this study was to describe canopy opening and light relations in two seasonally deciduous dry forests on slopes and limestone outcrops, in the Parana valley at the northeastern region of the Goias state, Brazil. The studied forests were in the Fazenda Sabonete in Iaciara-Go and Fazenda Forquilha in Guarani-GO. Woody plants were sampled in 25 (20 x 20 m) plots in each forest. In the Sabonete forest 40 species, 705 ind./ha(-1) with a basal area of 15.78 m(2)/ha(-1) were found, while in Forquilha there were 55 species, 956 ind./ha(-1) with a basal area of 24.76 m(2)/ha(-1). Using hemispherical photographic techniques, 25 black and white photographs were taken at each site, during the dry season, totaling 50 photographs. These were taken at the beginning of each vegetation-sampling plot. The photographs were scanned in grey tones and saved as 'Bitmap'. The canopy opening and leaf area index (LAI) were calculated using the software Winphot. The mean canopy opening was 54.0% (+/- 9.36) for Fazenda Sabonete and 64.6% (+/- 11.8) in Fazenda Forquilha, with both sites presenting significant differences in the opening estimates (P < 0.05). Their floristic richness and structure also differed with the more open canopy forest, Forquilha, being richer and denser, suggesting the need for further studies on species-environment relationships in these forests.