We investigated the richness, density, and composition of woody-tree species, and which
traits of colonizing species are selected in commercial stands of Pinus elliottii and Araucaria
angustifolia in southern Brazil. Analyses of variance with permutation tests were performed
to assess differences among stand types in relation to density and rarefied richness.
Multivariate analyses of variance with permutation tests were performed to compare stand
types in relation to species composition and reproductive traits. Native forests presented
higher stem density when compared to the plantations, while species richness did not
vary among stand types. Species composition differed between the native forest and the
plantations. Species' reproductive traits differed between the two types of plantations.
The higher frequency of zoochorous diaspores in P. elliottii plantations when compared to
the other stand types suggests the importance of the fauna in creating and sustaining
the understory structure in this type of plantation. Plantations show a high potential as
colonization sites by native woody species, despite their structural differences in relation
to native forests. If properly managed, plantations might be catalysts for the recovery of
degraded areas.
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