Estimativa indireta das emissões de gases de efeito estufa em uma área de mata atlântica e de cerrado sob influências antrópicas em Minas Gerais

Abstract

The green house effect in the Earth atmosphere is essential to life in the Planet, however, Human activities are determining increase in the concentration of important gases related to this effect. Among the anthropogenic activities, in developing regions, changes in land use and deforestation are important contribution to the budget of the green house gases (GHG) between the biosphere and atmosphere. Brazil is a typical example, once more than 70% of the country GHG emissions are associate to deforestation in the Amazon forest and Cerrado, and to land use activities. The goal of this work was to create a data base to support indirect estimation of GHG emissions (in special to carbon dioxide) from biomass burning in the Atlantic forest and Cerrado vegetation. The study was carried out at the Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras, Belo Horizonte city, Minas Gerais state, with bi-monthly sampling from August 2008 to May 2009. The vegetation study indicates a higher species density and richness in the Atlantic Forest phytophysiognomy in comparison to the Cerrado. The litter fall production was higher at the Atlantic Forest (total of 9,05 t/ha) with data from Cerrado indicating 35% reduction from that amount (i.e. 5,17 t/ha). In both areas the litter productivity was higher during the dry season. Carbon and nitrogen contend on litter fall was at 4,17 t/ha and 0,14 t/ha, respectively, for the Atlantic Forest and 2,41 t/ha and 0,05t/ha for the same elements in Cerrado. The above ground biomass (AGB) observed at the Atlantic forest reached a total of 384,6 t/ha (with 192,3 tC/ha) whilst in the Cerrado the observed AGB was of 134 t/ha (with carbon accounting to 67 tC/ha).