This paper assesses the population structure of Symphonia globulifera in forest fragments of lowland Atlantic Forest in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve (RBPA) and the União Biological Reserve (RBU), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A comparative analysis of the role of seed and vegetative reproduction in the plant population structure was also carried out. Three sampling areas were selected in the RBPA (PORT, CM and ARI) and one area in the RBU. Two types of population structure were found: 1) populations with low recruitment and with several individuals originated from seeds that appeared to be senescent (PORT and ARI), and 2) populations with high number of recruits from vegetative reproduction (CM and RBU). Seedlings and saplings showed, in general, a higher number of individuals from vegetative reproduction. On the other hand, adults had a predominance of individuals from seed reproduction. These structured patterns appear to be related to the water regimes in each area. Therefore, these data suggest the occurrence of a strong differentiated mortality of seedlings and saplings from vegetative reproduction.
Demography; population dynamics; forest fragmentation; swamp forest
