**2.2.3 Silvicultural systems**

A balanced silvicultural system guides the harvest and post harvest operations, in order to ensure the restocking of the location in the shortest time possible. The concern with the correct manner to intervene in a forest must be predominant and must be considered and planned before the operation. The sustainability of the project depends on the efficiency of the remaining individuals' response, as well as the quality of the natural regeneration. Among the various silvicultural systems available for tropical forest management, only those that can be applied to the management of candeia are presented. They were defined based on scientific studies, including a) Clear cutting in strips system: applied in homogeneous candeia fragments with alternating strips each 20 m wide, following the isoline curves of the land; b) Seed tree with natural regeneration system: seed trees are retained in a maximum distance of 10 meters, where the retained trees must be phenotypically superior and with the greatest crown diameter possible; c) Group selection system: gaps are opened with a maximum diameter of 15 m, within these gaps a selective exploration of individuals is conducted, preserving all the border trees (IEF, 2007). Figure 9 presents a scheme containing the spatial distribution of exploration in a candeia fragment.

In the past, farmers used selective cutting as a form of exploration. This strategy is not in favor of pure candeia fragments, since natural regeneration depends on great luminous intensity. Therefore, the strategy undertaken was to increase the canopy gap between the remaining trees in the forest according to better results for the following silvicultural systems: clear cutting in strips system, seed tree with natural regeneration system and group selection system (Scolforo et al., 2008b). To guarantee a high intensity of natural regeneration the seeds must be in contact with the ground, receiving direct sunlight and rainwater. Dispersion occurs in the months of August through October and the seeds have no dormancy problems.

After the harvest, the remaining trees must have diameter at breast height equal to or superior than 5 cm. In the Group selection and Clear cutting in strips systems a maximum of 60% of the number of candeia trees are allowed to be explored, distributed in the different diametric classes. For the Seed tree with natural regeneration system the maximum is of 70%.

A peculiar point of the exploration process is the withdrawal of epiphytes (compulsory and optional) which may exist in the area. They must be quantified and transplanted to nearby areas as similar as possible to the area under management, with the purpose of preservation. After the removal of the woody material and immediately before seed dispersal of the remaining candeias that serve as seed trees (between the months of August and October), the area explored must receive silvicultural treatments with the purpose of promoting the germination of a large contingent of candeia seeds to ensure the sustainability of production and management (IEF, 2007).

inventory, another option is the conduction of a census, in which all the individuals above 5 cm diameter are counted, distributed in diameter classes with amplitude of 5 cm. The operation is performed with the use of a diameter fork, which speeds up the field operation obtaining the number of individuals/ha of candeia. Sustainable exploration is legality permitted only when more than 70% of individuals present in the forest fragment are composed of candeia. In more environmentally fragile areas only the census is allowed. Local volumetric quantification can be obtained by scaling and fitting regression models, or

A balanced silvicultural system guides the harvest and post harvest operations, in order to ensure the restocking of the location in the shortest time possible. The concern with the correct manner to intervene in a forest must be predominant and must be considered and planned before the operation. The sustainability of the project depends on the efficiency of the remaining individuals' response, as well as the quality of the natural regeneration. Among the various silvicultural systems available for tropical forest management, only those that can be applied to the management of candeia are presented. They were defined based on scientific studies, including a) Clear cutting in strips system: applied in homogeneous candeia fragments with alternating strips each 20 m wide, following the isoline curves of the land; b) Seed tree with natural regeneration system: seed trees are retained in a maximum distance of 10 meters, where the retained trees must be phenotypically superior and with the greatest crown diameter possible; c) Group selection system: gaps are opened with a maximum diameter of 15 m, within these gaps a selective exploration of individuals is conducted, preserving all the border trees (IEF, 2007). Figure 9 presents a scheme containing the spatial distribution of exploration in a candeia fragment. In the past, farmers used selective cutting as a form of exploration. This strategy is not in favor of pure candeia fragments, since natural regeneration depends on great luminous intensity. Therefore, the strategy undertaken was to increase the canopy gap between the remaining trees in the forest according to better results for the following silvicultural systems: clear cutting in strips system, seed tree with natural regeneration system and group selection system (Scolforo et al., 2008b). To guarantee a high intensity of natural regeneration the seeds must be in contact with the ground, receiving direct sunlight and rainwater. Dispersion occurs in the months of August through October and the seeds have

After the harvest, the remaining trees must have diameter at breast height equal to or superior than 5 cm. In the Group selection and Clear cutting in strips systems a maximum of 60% of the number of candeia trees are allowed to be explored, distributed in the different diametric

A peculiar point of the exploration process is the withdrawal of epiphytes (compulsory and optional) which may exist in the area. They must be quantified and transplanted to nearby areas as similar as possible to the area under management, with the purpose of preservation. After the removal of the woody material and immediately before seed dispersal of the remaining candeias that serve as seed trees (between the months of August and October), the area explored must receive silvicultural treatments with the purpose of promoting the germination of a large contingent of candeia seeds to ensure the sustainability of production

classes. For the Seed tree with natural regeneration system the maximum is of 70%.

through specific equations already adjusted to various parts of the State.

**2.2.3 Silvicultural systems** 

no dormancy problems.

and management (IEF, 2007).


Fig. 9. Schematic representation of the silvicultural systems employed in the management of candeia fragments.
