Abstract The ecological viability of using logging residues as a postharvest silvicultural treatment remains poorly understood in tropical forests. This study evaluated the effects of residue removal on floristic composition and natural regeneration structure at different successional stages. The study was conducted in the Tapajós National Forest, a dense ombrophilous forest located in the Brazilian Amazon, across three timber production units selectively logged in 2021, 2017, and 2013, representing situations 2, 6, and 10 years after logging. In the initial harvesting process, commercial tree species with a diameter at breast height ≥50 cm were extracted including for example Hymenaea courbaril, Handroanthus serratifolius, Handroanthus impetiginosus, Dipteryx odorata, and Manilkara elata. The extraction followed reduced-impact logging techniques, which involved directional felling, log skidding, and log measurement. The utilization of forest logging residues consisted of removing branches and forks from these same species, using the same skidding and measurement system applied to logs. Areas with and without logging residue removal were compared using sixty-six 10 × 10 m plots. In these plots, natural regeneration was measured considering structural attributes, diversity, and floristic composition, categorizing individuals into three size classes (seedlings, saplings, and small trees). Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis were applied as statistical methods to detect differences between treatments. The results indicated significant variations among the successional stages for the size classes but no significant differences between areas with and without logging residue removal. Therefore, under the conditions of this study, logging residue removal did not compromise natural regeneration, supporting its ecological viability as a postharvest silvicultural treatment in managed forests in the Amazon.
Gomes et al. (Thu,) studied this question.