APPLICATION OF PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES 309 



eight additional mesophanerophytes were observed on the plot: Palmeira 

 de Coco, Paina, Marica, Cafezinho do Mato, Carne de Vaca, Urtiga, Sapuva, 

 and Louro branco. Although this plot was only 2,800 sq. m., as opposed 

 to 20,000 sq. m. for the Mucambo plot, the 72 species as to 218 show that 

 the flora is distinctly less rich at Alto do Palmital than at Mucambo. Also, 

 total phanerophytes, excluding lianas and epiphytes, are only 56 per cent in 

 contrast to 74 per cent. With those classes included with trees and shrubs, 

 the percentages are 80 and 95, respectively. Further comparison shows that 

 the Alto do Palmital temperate rain forest differs from the Mucambo equa- 

 torial rain forest by having somewhat smaller leaves, somewhat more epi- 

 phytes, and lower stature of the tall trees. No species was observed to be a 

 megaphanerophyte, although some undoubtedly are. The following are typical 

 measurements of mesophanerophytes: Canjarana vermelha, 13.0 m. to branch- 

 ing and 19.4 m. to top of canopy; Canela preta, 6.0 m. to branching and 21.0 

 m. to top of canopy; Cedro, 10.2 m. to branching and 24.8 m. to top of 

 canopy; Maria preta, 8.6 m. to branching and 28.0 m. to top of canopy; 

 Guatambu, 27.7 m. to top of canopy; Palmito, 11.3 m. to base of leaves, 13.2 

 to top of canopy. 



Later our collections from Alto do Palmital were examined by Padre 

 Balduino Rambo, S.J., Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, who provided us 

 with most of the technical names of the floristic list in table 19. This table is 

 arranged by life-form and leaf-size classes. 



The Mucambo plot has already been described in detail, but Alto do 

 Palmital and the other plots have not, so a few additional descriptive data 

 will be added for them. It has already been made clear that virgin temperate 

 rain forest at Alto do Palmital is not unusually tall. Neither are the trees very 

 large. Of the 193 trees measured on the plot we found 118 in the 10- to 19-cm. 

 class (measured by diameter tape at 4.5 ft. above the ground), 33 in the 20- 

 to 29-cm. class, 22 in the 30- to 39-cm. class, 12 in the 50- to 59-cm. class, 7 in 

 the 50- to 59-cm. class, and 1 in the 60- to 69-cm. class. Of the trees 10 to 19 

 cm. in diameter the Palmito, Euterpe edidis, were 54, or 45.7 per cent of the 

 total. 



Basal area (cross-section area of the tree trunks at 4.5 ft. aboveground) 

 totaled 851.96 sq. dm. on the 2,800 sq. m. plot. Table 20 shows that the 

 greatest basal area was for Canjarana vermelha, Cabralia oblongifolia, with 

 10.2 per cent of the total. Seven other species had basal areas between 5 and 

 10 per cent, 20 species collectively made up 92.3 per cent of the basal area, 

 and 19 species formed the remainder of 7.7 per cent. On a basis of this sample 

 plot, similar timber would have 30.42 sq. m. (327 square feet) basal area on 

 1 hectare and 12.17 sq. m. (131 square feet) on 1 acre. This, incidentally, 

 is slightly less than the average for virgin northern hardwood forest (tem- 

 perate, broad-leaf deciduous forest) in the United States, as in northern 

 Michigan. 



