RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a produção de serapilheira e a chuva de sementes em um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual do oeste do Paraná com 242 ha, que é conhecido como Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Santa Maria. O material foi coletado mensalmente de junho/2011 a maio/2012, em nove parcelas de 20 x 20 m, com o uso quatro coletores de 0,5 x 0,5 m em cada parcela. A serapilheira foi triada e pesada, e a chuva de sementes foi avaliada quanto à riqueza, forma de vida, categoria sucessional e síndrome de dispersão das espécies encontradas. A produção anual de serapilheira foi de 11.886 kg ha-1, sendo agosto e setembro os meses de maiores produções. A fração foliar foi a mais representativa com 58,52% do total. Na chuva de sementes foram coletadas 18.300 sementes, distribuídas em 79 morfoespécies, das quais 51 foram identificadas em nível de espécie, oito em nível de gênero e seis em nível de família. Mikania sp., Cecropia pachystachya, Pisonia aculeata, Gouania ulmifolia e Dendropanax cuneatus foram as espécies com maiores densidades relativas. Os meses com maior abundância de sementes foram setembro (19%), outubro (20%), novembro (27%) e março (15%). A forma de vida predominante foi arbórea com 76,27% das espécies, seguida de lianas com 20,34% e herbáceas com apenas 3,39%. Entre as espécies arbóreas, 37% foram representadas pela categoria sucessional de pioneiras, enquanto as categorias secundárias iniciais e tardias representaram 22% cada e as climácicas 20%. A zoocoria predominou entre as síndromes de dispersão (52,54%), enquanto a anemocoria e a autocoria ocorreram em 38,98 e 8,47%, respectivamente. Os resultados foram semelhantes aos encontrados em outros trabalhos realizados em Florestas Estacionais Semideciduais tardias. Assim, por meio deste estudo sobre deposição da serapilheira e chuva de sementes, o fragmento florestal pode ser considerado uma área de floresta tardia e com elevado potencial de regeneração.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyze litterfall production and seed rain of a fragment of seasonal semideciduous forest from western of Parana state with 242 ha, which is known as Santa Maria Farm’s Private NatureReserve. The material was collected from June/2011 to May/2012, in nine plots of 20 x 20 m, using four traps of 0,5 x 0,5 m in each plot. The litter was sorted and weighed, and the seed rain was evaluated as the wealth, life form, successional category and dispersal syndrome of the species found. The annual litterfall production was 11.886 kg ha-1, being August and September the months of the largest production. The leaf fraction was the most representative with 58,52% of the total. In the seed rain were collected 18.300 seeds, distributed in 79 morphospecies, which 51 were identified to species level, eight at the genus level and six at the family level. Mikania sp., Cecropia pachystachya, Pisonia aculeata, Gouania ulmifolia and Dendropanax cuneatus, were the species with the highest relative densities. The months with the highest abundance of seeds were September (19%), October (20%), November (27%) and March (15%). The life form predominant was tree with 76,27% of the species, followed by climbers with 20,34% and herbaceous with 3,39% only. Among the tree species, 37 % were represented by successional category of pioneer, while the early and late secondary categories accounted for 22% each and the climax 20%. The zoochory predominated among dispersal syndromes (52,54%), while anemochory and autocory occurred in 38,98% and 8,47%, respectively. The results were similar to those found in other works performed in late seasonal semideciduous forest. Furthermore, through this study about litterfall production and seed rain, the forest fragment can be considered an area of mature forest and with high regeneration potential.

We documented litter production and seed rain in fragments of semideciduous forest (SDF) in the western part of the state of Paraná, Brazil: a late successional fragment (LF); an early successional fragment (EF); and a reforested late successional fragment (RLF). In each fragment, we established three permanent plots with four litter traps each, corresponding to 12 litter traps per fragment. Botanical material was collected monthly between June 2011 and May 2012. We sorted the material by category: leaves; branches; reproductive structures; and miscellaneous. We analyzed the seed rain using the reproductive structures. Annual production was highest (11,560 kg.ha-1) in the LF, followed by the RLF, with 9330 kg.ha-1, and the EF, with 7838 kg.ha-1. The RLF yielded 7167 diaspores, from 33 species, compared with 4751 diaspores, from 38 species, for the EF; in both fragments, pioneer and anemochorous species predominated. The LF yielded 2173 diaspores, from 49 species, among which late secondary and climax species with zoochorous dispersal predominated. We observed asynchrony in the frequency of diaspore production of trees and lianas. Our data describe the dynamics of plant assemblages in SDF fragments and provide information on successional stages, dispersion syndromes, patterns of asynchrony, deciduousness, reproductive periods, and resource availability for frugivores.