In the interest of maintaining lands to fully support the military mission, Department of Defense (DOD) installations must manage competing objectives under constraints related to mission operations, regulation and compliance requirements, and budget reductions. Silviculture offers promise for ecosystem management while providing financial means through the sale of forest products. This study used forest inventory and bald eagle nest site data to investigate the potential effects of silviculture on bald eagle nesting habitat at Naval Support Facility Indian Head. Mahalanobis distance was used to define and classify preferred nesting substrate. Silviculture was simulated using the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to assess forest nesting substrate, economic yields and the tradeoffs between these two objectives. An alternative substrate model based on cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) and Boolean logic allowed evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the Mahalanobis distance method. The Mahalanobis distance model provided greater relative fit to the sample of nest sites compared to the CDF model but had lower discriminating power between presence and absence data. Simulation results indicate that top performing silvicultural treatments resulted in greater substrate availability compared to no-action over equal time periods. Uneven-age management was shown as the best system for providing nesting substrate as well as favorable economic yields in hardwood stands. Results also stress the importance of thinning in providing future nesting substrate and maintaining preferred substrate late in the rotation. Economic and habitat tradeoffs varied by treatment, suggesting that optimum prescriptions could be identified to provide for both objectives and minimize tradeoffs. / Master of Science

Urban forested natural areas (UFNAs) are the remnants of larger forested ecosystems that have become surrounded by urban land development. Due to their proximity to dense population centers, UFNAs provide levels of ecosystem services disproportionate with their small size. However, stressors on UFNAs, such as fragmentation, invasive species, urban heat islands, soil compaction, altered seed predator populations, and disrupted disturbance regimes, can alter species composition and forest structure such that the continued flow of these ecosystem services is unlikely. Further, management of these systems is confounded by their size and location. While most urban forests are managed using individual tree techniques (arboriculture), UFNAs have too many trees for this approach to be tenable. Likewise, traditional forest management techniques (silviculture) may not be possible due to the relatively small size of UFNAs and their proximity to urban population centers where silvicultural strategies may not be politically acceptable. This dissertation helps inform UFNA management strategies by documenting how species composition and forest structure have changed over time as a result of a mostly laissez-faire management strategy in a UFNA of Memphis, Tennessee. Evidence of the negative impacts of this approach on native tree species can be used by managers to build public support for management interventions. This work also examines potential recruitment barriers for the native overstory species northern red oak (Quercus rubra L). and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) which provide much of the large tree character in this UFNA. These results can guide specific management strategies to promote these important species. Finally, this research elucidates the potential threat to native plant biodiversity in this UFNA posed by a popular non-native ornamental tree species, cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana Aiton). The results can aid in the development of appropriate policies regarding this specific tree and similar species in other UFNAs. Combined these studies provide a glimpse into the complicated dynamics and management of this UFNA. Given the widespread nature of the species examined and the methods used, this research may also provide useful insights into UFNA management in the surrounding regions.

No description available.

The Caledonian pinewoods are a habitat of crucial environmental and cultural importance, and the sole home of many rare species. However, they have seen steady decline in recent centuries, through the establishment of hunting estates and forestry plantations. A recent trend in management is the attempted transformation of existing plantations (dense communities with a regular spatial structure and low variance in size and age) towards a state mimicking the perceived natural condition, which has a lower density, irregular spatial pattern, high variance in size and age. This presents a problem for traditional forestry practices, which were conceived primarily with “even-aged” plantation populations in mind. The shift towards management of an uneven-aged structure requires a more in-depth consideration of individual trees’ lifecycles and their effect upon long-term population dynamics. In recent years, great advances in computational and mathematical models for spatially interacting populations have been made. However, certain complications have prevented them from being utilised to their full potential for the purposes of forest management. Forest communities are not only spatially structured; the size of each tree plays a role in its ability to acquire resources for growth and survival. Existing models of population dynamics are discussed, and their extension to incorporate both size- and spatially- structured interactions is presented. The key aspects of populations’ structural development are studied. Data from both plantation and semi-natural Scots Pine stands in Scotland allow parameterisation of a stochastic individual-based model, which in turn provides insights into the behaviour of real populations, and the importance of spatial effects and heterogeneity in individuals. A partial differential equation (moment) approximation to the stochastic model is presented. While this is analytically intractable, numerical integration and heuristic analysis of the equations enable clearer identification of the drivers of population structure. Many results are concordant with existing models of both qualitative forest stand development and theoretical dynamics of spatially-structured populations, while others are specific to joint size-space structure. This deeper understanding of the population dynamics allows robust recommendations for diverse uneven-aged stand management objectives to be made. Approaches to accelerating the transformation of plantation stands towards a “natural” state (using two key operations: thinning – removal of trees, and planting) are investigated. Finally, approaches to so-called “continuous cover forestry” – the practice of maintaining a quasi-natural state while also obtaining economic value from a forest – are also considered. In both cases, the model’s simplicity enables clearer conclusions than would be possible using other approaches.

Forests in boreal and temperate forest-ecosystems have importance for carbonbalance since they sequester large amount of atmospheric carbon by uptake ofcarbon-dioxide during photosynthesis, and transfer and store carbon in the forestecosystem. Forest material can be used for bio-fuel purposes and substitute fossilfuels, and supply wood products, which can replace carbon-and-energy-intensivematerials. Therefore it is vital to consider the role of forests regarding today´s aimto mitigate climate change. This thesis assess (i) how climate change affects futureforest carbon balance, (ii) the importance of different strategies for forestmanagement systems, and biomass production for the carbon balance, (iii) how theuse of forest production affect the total carbon balance in a lifecycle perspective,and (iv) how the Swedish carbon balance is affected from the standpoint of boththe actual use of forest raw material within Sweden and what Swedish forestryexports. The analysis was made mainly in a long-term perspective (60-300 years) toillustrate the importance of temporal and also the spatial perspective, as theanalysis includes stand level, landscape level, and national level. In this thesis, forestry was considered a system. All activities, from forestregeneration to end use of forest products, were entities of this system. In theevaluation, made from a systems perspective, we used life-cycle analysis toestimate carbon stock in different system flows. Different forest managementsystems and forest production were integrated in the analyses. Different forestmanagement scenarios were designed for the Swedish forest management incombination with the effect of future climate change; (i) intensive forest practiceaiming at increased growth, (ii) increased forest set-aside areas, changes in forestmanagement systems for biomass production, and (iii) how the use of forestproducts affect the total carbon balance (construction material, bioenergy and otherdomestic use). The results showed that future climate changes and intensive forest managementwith increased production could increase the biomass production and the potentialuse of forest raw material. This has a positive effect on carbon stock change in theforest biomass, litter production and below ground carbon stock and help reducingcarbon-dioxide emissions. Increased forest set-aside areas can increase the shorttermcarbon stock in forest ecosystems, but will reduce the total long-term carbonbalance. The net carbon balance for clear-cut forestry did not differ significantlyfrom continuous-cover forestry, but was rather a question of level of growth. Mostimportant, in the long term, was according to our analysis, how forest raw materialis used. Present Swedish forestry and use of forest raw material, both withinSweden and abroad, reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change.The positive effect for the total carbon balance and climate benefit mostly takeplace abroad, due to the Swedish high level of export of wood products and thehigher substitution effects achieved outside Swedish borders. One strategy is toincrease production, harvest and use Swedish forest raw material to replace morecarbon intensive material, which can contribute to significant emission reduction.Carbon-dioxide mitigation, as a result of present Swedish forestry, was shown tobe almost of the same level as the total yearly emission of greenhouse gases. Thetotal carbon benefit would increase if the biomass production and felling increasedand if Swedish wood products replaced carbon intensive materials. This thesis shows also that, by changing forest management, increase thegrowth and the use of forest raw material and export of forest material we cancontribute to even larger climate benefits. In a long-term perspective, thesubstitution effects and replacement of carbon-and energy-intensive materials areof greater significance than carbon storage effects in forests. A more productionoriented forestry needs to make balances and increase the prerequisite forbiological diversity, improve recreation possibilities, and protect sensitive landareas and watersheds. Climate benefits, from Swedish forestry, are highly dependent on policydecision-making and how that can steer the direction for the Swedish forestry.

O aumento da demanda por produtos florestais impulsionou o crescimento das áreas plantadas mundiais, passando de 167 milhões de hectares em 1990 para 280 milhões em 2015. No setor brasileiro de florestas plantadas, as espécies de Eucalyptus possuem grande representatividade, sendo responsáveis pelo suprimento de 90 % da madeira produzida no país. As áreas em que os novos povoamentos de eucalipto estão sendo estabelecidos são caracterizadas por condições climáticas pouco favoráveis e pela baixa fertilidade química do solo. O suprimento nutricional apresenta forte influência sobre a produtividade e contribui para prevenção contra estresses bióticos e abióticos. A deficiência de micronutrientes é uma realidade emergente, sendo o B, o Cu e o Zn os nutrientes mais problemáticos para a cultura em solos do Cerrado. Estes nutrientes estão associados às cadeias metabólicas de produção de lignina, de fenóis e de fitoalexinas como cofatores e ativadores enzimáticos. Estas moléculas, além de participarem da integridade funcional e estrutural de membranas e de outros componentes celulares das plantas, cumprem a função de aumentar a resistência das plantas ao ataque de patógenos. Assim, foram estudados os efeitos da omissão e da aplicação de micronutrientes B, Cu e Zn associado à manutenção ou à remoção de resíduos florestais. Foram avaliados os aspectos nutricionais das árvores e suas relações com o volume de madeira produzido e com a suscetibilidade ao ataque da ferrugem do eucalipto (Puccinia psidii). A remoção dos resíduos florestais da colheita apresentou pouca influência sobre os teores disponíveis de B, Cu e Zn no solo. A omissão de B e de Zn influenciou os teores disponíveis destes nutrientes no solo, contudo apenas os baixos teores de B se refletiram na nutrição das árvores. No crescimento das árvores, o diâmetro à altura do peito teve redução aos 12 e aos 15 meses pós-plantio. Esta diferença foi encontrada entre os tratamentos com aplicação completa de nutrientes e com omissão de Zn. O tratamento com omissão de Zn apresentou o maior crescimento e, em geral, a maior concentração de macronutrientes e de micronutrientes foliares. O tratamento com omissão de Zn apresentou também a menor infestação e severidade do ataque por ferrugem, mostrando a importância da nutrição balanceada das árvores para o crescimento e para a proteção dos povoamentos florestais. / The increasing demand for forest products has promoted the growth of planted areas worldwide, from 167 million hectares in 1990 to 280 million in 2015. In the Brazilian planted forest sector, Eucalyptus species supply 90 % of the produced wood in the country. In general, eucalyptus stands are established in areas with unfavorable climatic conditions and low soil fertility. Mineral nutrition has an important influence on productivity and prevention against biotic and abiotic stresses. Micronutrient deficiency is an emerging reality, and B, Cu and Zn are the most problematic nutrients for eucalypt cultivation in soils of the Brazilian Cerrado. These nutrients are related to lignin, phenol and phytoalexin production pathways as cofactors and enzymatic activators. These molecules present relations with the resistance and the susceptibility of the plants to the pathogens attack, besides participating in the functional and structural integrity of membranes and other cellular constituents of plants. Thus, the omission effects were studied and application of B, Cu and Zn associated with the forest residues management. Trees nutrition and their relation with volume and susceptibility to eucalyptus rust (Puccinia psidii) were evaluated. The removal of forest residues from the harvest had little influence on the available levels of B, Cu and Zn in the soil. The omission of B and Zn influenced the availability of these nutrients in the soil; however, only low levels of B were reflected in trees nutrition. The diameter at breast height had a growth reduction at 12 and 15 months after planting. This difference was found between treatments with complete application of nutrients and with Zn omission. The treatment with Zn omission had the highest growth and, in general, the highest leaf concentration of macronutrients and micronutrients. The treatment with Zn omission also showed the lowest infestation and severity of eucalyptus rust. Thus, balanced mineral nutrition of trees favored growth and health of the forest stand.

No Brasil, e especialmente no estado de São Paulo na região do Vale do Paraíba, a silvicultura com o cultivo do eucalipto está se expandindo para as áreas declivosas, ocupadas com pastagens degradadas, devido ao limitado valor agropecuário destas topografias e sua maior aptidão florestal. Tais áreas estão naturalmente mais sujeitas à erosão hídrica, a qual reduz a produtividade florestal e impacta os cursos da água. Desta forma, os métodos de preparo de solo devem ser criteriosamente definidos para possibilitar o adequado crescimento inicial das florestas concomitantemente à conservação do solo. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de diferentes métodos de preparo de solo sobre as perdas de solo e água, por erosão, e sobre o desenvolvimento inicial de plantio clonal, de E. grandis, em áreas declivosas. O ensaio foi instalado num delineamento fatorial 3x2, com três intensidades de preparo (coveamento manual, coveamento mecânico e subsolagem a favor do declive) e dois sistemas de manejo de resíduos de colheita (com e sem resíduos), com 4 repetições, num Argissolo Vermelho - Amarelo Distrófico (textura média/argilosa), com declividade média de 21%, no município de Igaratá-SP. A perda de solo e o crescimento da floresta foram avaliados durante 1 ano, entre março de 2004 e fevereiro de 2005. Em dois tratamentos, o com coveamento manual e manutenção dos resíduos (MAC) e na subsolagem sem resíduos (SUS), a erosão foi medida diretamente através do método da parcela padrão, instaladas em todas as repetições, e com dimensões de 14x24 metros. Uma parcela padrão adicional, sem preparo e sem resíduos, foi também instalada. As erosões mensuradas foram agrupadas e analisadas em três períodos (0 a 2, 3 a 7, e 8 a 12 meses). Para os demais tratamentos, a erosão foi estimada por modelos (chamados de por período e global) gerados por regressões lineares múltiplas entre a erosão observada nas parcelas padrão dos tratamentos MAC e SUS, e variáveis independentes oriundas dos atributos locais de cada parcela e das medições de 15 pinos nelas instalados. O solo e a água erodidos e coletados nas parcelas padrão foram analisados quimicamente para quantificar os macronutrientes perdidos. O crescimento inicial do eucalipto foi determinado estimando-se a cobertura do solo e a biomassa da parte aérea aos 3, 6, 9 e 12 meses. Para as parcelas padrão, houve maior erosão no tratamento SUS do que no MAC (P=0.07), com valores médios de 12,9 e 2,4 Mg ha-1 ano-1, respectivamente, e para ambos houve significativa redução da erosão com o desenvolvimento da floresta, o que não ocorreu na parcela testemunha. Os modelos preditivos de erosão só retiveram a variável dos pinos para os 2 primeiros períodos, quando as erosões foram maiores. Para o terceiro período e para o modelo global, apenas variáveis locais foram retidas: volume de solo mobilizado, cobertura do solo e teor de argila. Ambos modelos apresentaram a mesma tendência de estimar maior erosão no tratamento com subsolagem, o qual também obteve, um pequeno ganho de crescimento ao final do primeiro ano (9%). Em termos de resíduos, sua presença reduziu levemente o crescimento (9%). A maior parte da perda de nutrientes, 60%, ocorreu no solo erodido, e suplantam a entrada de nutrientes via chuva, porém são muito inferiores à exportação pela remoção dos resíduos florestais. Assim, ponderando-se os ganhos de crescimento inicial e as perdas erosivas esperadas, identifica-se para o sítio como melhor opção a manutenção dos resíduos com o uso de coveamento mecânico. / In Brazil, and especially in the state of São Paulo in the "Vale do Paraíba" region, eucalypt plantation is expanding to high declivity areas occupied with degraded pastures due to the limited agricultural value of these topographies and its greatest forest aptitude. Such areas are naturally more susceptible to the hydric erosion, which reduces the forest productivity and causes impacts in creeks and lakes. Therefore, the methods of soil preparation should be carefully defined to improve the initial growth of the forests together with soil conservation. Thus, this study had the objective to evaluate the effect of different methods of soil preparation on the soil and water losses by erosion, and on the initial development of E.grandis, clone, in steep areas. The experiment was installed in a 3 x 2 factorial design, with three intensities of soil preparation (manual pitting, mechanical pitting and downhill subsoiling) and two systems of residues management (with and without harvesting residues), with 4 blocks, in a Red-Yellow Argisol dystrophic (medium/clayey texture), with an average declivity of 20,3%, in Igaratá-SP. The soil loss and the growth of the forest were followed during 1 year, between March of 2004 and February of 2005. In two treatments, manual pit and maintenance of the residues (MAC) and in the subsoiling without residues (SUS), the erosion was measured directly through the method of the standart plots, installed in all the repetitions, and with 14 x 24 meters dimensions. An additional standard plot without soil preparation and residues was also installed. The erosion data was grouped and analyzed in three periods (0 to 2, 3 to 7, and 8 to 12 months). For the other treatments, the erosion was estimated using models (named per period and global) from multiple linear regressions between the erosion observed in the treatments MAC and SUS, and independent variables originated from local attributes of each plot and from the measurement of 15 pins installed inside the plots. The soil and the water eroded, collected in the standard plots were chemically analyzed to quantify the lost of macronutrients. The initial growth of the eucalypt was determined estimating soil coverage and aboveground biomass at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. For the standard-plots, there was larger erosion in the treatment SUS than in MAC (P=0.07), with average values of 12.9 and 2.4 Mg ha-1 year-1, respectively. For both treatments, the erosion was reduced with the growth of the forest. The erosion models only retained the variable of the pins for the first 2 periods, when erosions were larger. For the third period and for the global model, just local variables were retained: volume of prepared soil, soil coverage and clay content. Both models presented the same trend of predicting larger erosion in the treatment with subsoiling, which also obtained a small growth gain at the end of the first year (9%). For the residues, its maintenance in the area reduced the growth slightly (9%), similar to the mechanical pitty. Most of the loss of nutrients, 60%, were in the eroded soil, and this amount was larger than the rainfall inputs, but much smaller than the exportation by removing the forest residues. Thus, pondering the gains of initial growth and the expected erosion losses, the maintenance of the residues in the site together with the use of mechanical pitting can be identified as the best soil preparation option for these areas.

A modificação da paisagem e a fragmentação de habitats são consideradas ameaças à biodiversidade mundial. Áreas cobertas por vegetação primária ainda preservadas e unidades de conservação são insuficientes para garantir a conservação de espécies. Cultivos de florestas homogêneas passaram a ser considerados como possíveis habitats alternativos para espécies florestais e podem contribuir para a conservação da biodiversidade. O Brasil é o país com maior área ocupada com plantio de eucalipto e essa vem crescendo nos últimos anos. Identificar quais fatores influenciam a diversidade da biota nos plantios é importante para a conservação de espécies. O objetivo do presente estudo foi conhecer a composição florística do sub-bosque de plantios de Eucalyptus saligna Sm. e avaliar se o tipo de solo e a idade do plantio influenciam a riqueza e a composiçao da vegetação que ocupa esse ambiente. Para isso foi realizado o levantamento das espécies vegetais que ocorrem nos cultivos localizados em solo argiloso e arenoso, nos quais os indivíduos de E. saligna tinham três e sete anos. Foram avaliados como fatores ambientais características do solo, produção de serapilheira pelas árvores do plantio, abertura do dossel, uso do solo no entorno do cultivo e tamanho do plantio. No total, foram encontradas 218 espécies vegetais. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas apenas com as espécies que estavam presentes em pelo menos duas unidades amostrais. Plantios em solo argiloso apresentaram maior riqueza que no solo arenoso e houve diferença significativa na composição de espécies entre os dois tipos de solo. Grande parte dos fatores ambientais mensurados também foram diferentes entre os solos. Não foi possível verificar diferenças na riqueza, na composição de espécies e nos fatores ambientais entre os plantios de diferentes idades. O tipo de solo pode ser um fator mais limitante do que a idade da floresta plantada para determinar a riqueza e composição das espécies que compõem o sub-bosque dos plantios. Embora a riqueza de espécies no solo arenoso seja menor, esse também é importante para a conservação, porque abriga espécies adaptadas à menor disponibilidade de recursos, que não ocorrem em outros ambientes. O grande número de espécies encontrado no sub-bosque destes plantios indica que eles podem auxiliar na conservação de espécies nativas, mas esse potencial deve ser melhor investigado. São recomendados estudos de outros fatores, como a biologia de espécies importantes ecológica e econômicamente, interações entre animais e plantas e diferentes estratégias de manejo, para investigar de que forma eles afetam a biodiversidade e como eles podem ajudar a avaliar e aumentar o potencial de conservação das florestas industriais. / Landscape change and habitat fragmentaiton are recognized as threats to global biodiversity.Areas with remaining primary vegetation and protected areas are insufficient to ensure species conservation. Forest monocultures are potencial alternative habitats for native species and may contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Brazil is the country with the largest area occupied with eucalypt plantations, this area is also growing in the last years. Identifying which factors influence the biodiversity on plantations is important to species conservation. The objective of this study was to know the understory species composition in Eucalyptus saligna Sm. plantations and to evaluate the influence of soil type and stand age on species richness and species composition. Surveys of vegetation were performed in stands on clay and sandy soils where the eucalypt trees were three and seven years old. Other soil characteristics, litter production by stand trees, canopy open and land use surrounding stands were evaluated as environmental factors. 218 plant species were found in plantations understory. The stands on clay soil were richer than those on sandy soil. Most of the environmental factors evaluated were also different among stands on different soils type. It was not possible to verify differences on species richness and species composition nor environmental factors between stand ages. Soil type could be a more limiting factor than forest age to determine species richness and species composition on plantations understory. Sandy soils are poorer in species, but they are also important to conservation, since species that happen on sandy soils are adapted to low resources availability and do not occur at other locations. The large number of native species founded in eucalypts plantation understory indicates that these plantations may assist some native species conservation. Nevertheless, further research is needed to understand the conservation potential from eucalypt plantations. It is recommended other studies to be done for a better comprehension and to increase the importance of plantation forests to conservation, mainly studies about biology of key species, interactions between animals and plants and the effect of different management options.

A perda e degradação de habitats são os principais fatores que geram diminuição da biodiversidade. A silvicultura é um dos maiores agentes de distúrbio ambiental para aves. Mudanças na diversidade de espécies entre ambientes podem ser geradas por dois mecanismos: aninhamento e/ou substituição (turnover) de espécies. As comunidades animais variam em relação às mudanças na composição dos ambientes, onde a distribuição das espécies responde aos arranjos espaciais dos elementos da paisagem. Assim, os objetivos deste trabalho foram: 1) descrever a assembleia de aves em talhões de Eucalyptus sp. 2) avaliar a composição da assembleia durante o ciclo silvicultural e a relação com a composição das assembleias de aves das matas ripárias nativas, distinguindo entre aninhamento e turnover e 3) verificar a influência do tipo de uso do solo adjacente aos plantios na riqueza das assembleias de aves. O estudo foi realizado em talhões de Eucalyptus sp. em diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento e em porções de florestas ripárias no Bioma Pampa, sendo coletado informações sobre riqueza e composição das assembleias de aves, através de pontos de contagem. Para a composição de espécies, foram realizadas análises de diversidade beta, distinguindo entre aninhamento e turnover, mostrando que a maior semelhança da composição das assembleias de aves ocorreu entre os diferentes estágios do plantio do que destes com a floresta ripária, e que a semelhança da assembleia de aves dos plantios com a assembleia da floresta nativa é menor em estágios avançados de desenvolvimento. Para as variáveis do entorno, foram feitas regressões múltiplas, indicando que a presença de ambiente florestal nativo, influencia na riqueza de espécies de aves dos plantios de Eucalyptus sp., apesar de poucas espécies de interior de floresta contribuírem para composição da assembleia de aves deste ambiente antrópico. / Habitat loss and degradation are the major factors driving biodiversity loss. Silviculture is a relevant environmental disruption agent to birds. Changes in species diversity among environments can be generated by two mechanisms: nestedness and/or turnover. Animal communities vary in relation to changes of environment composition, where the species distribution respond to spatial arrangements of landscape elements. The goals of this study were: 1) describe the birds assembly in Eucalyptus sp. stands, 2) avaluate the assembly composition during the silvicultural cycle, relating to the composition of birds in the native riparian forests, distinguishing between nestedness and turnover, and 3) verify the influence of adjacent land use, on the birds assembly richness. The study took place in stands of Eucalyptus sp. in different development stages and in riparian forests portions in the Pampa Biome, and was collected information about richness and birds assembly composition by counting points. For species composition, were carried out beta diversity analyzes, distinguishing between nestedness and turnover, showing that the greatest similarity of the birds assembly composition was between the differents plantation stages than those compared to riparian forest, and the similarity of the composition of plantations birds assembly between the native forest assembly, it is smaller in Eucalyptus sp. advanced development stages. For the environmental variables, multiple regression analysis was made, indicating that the presence of surrounding native forest environments hold the richness of bird species in Eucalyptus sp. plantations, despite a few of forest interior species contribute to the man-made environmental birds assembly composition.

Existem na região sudoeste do Rio Grande do Sul campos recobertos de areia conhecidos pelo nome de “areais”, ou campos de areia. O interesse por estudar esses campos de areia surge da constatação que esses campos de areia se apresentam como um problema para a sociedade, principalmente a partir da década de 70, quando os areais passam a ser chamados de “desertos” e a possibilidade de alastramento desses “desertos” passa a representar uma ameaça para as sociedades que vivem em seu entorno. Nesse contexto, novas percepções e concepções surgem acerca desses campos de areia, influenciando o modo como os agricultores agem em relação aos areais. Nesse sentido, os agricultores que habitam seu entorno, passam a adotar uma série de atitudes na tentativa de controle dos areais mediante a instalação de dispositivos que resultam em modificações na paisagem, deixando marcas humanas capazes de revelar as intenções de sua construção. Entre essas atitudes ambientais destaca-se a proposição do plantio de espécies arbóreas, entre as quais se destaca o eucalipto, apresentadas à sociedade como capaz de controlar a dinâmica de arenização e inserir a região de ocorrência dos areais em uma nova matriz econômica, mediante sua inserção no mercado da silvicultura industrial. No presente estudo de caso, os “Campos de Areia da Vila Kraemer” (São Francisco de Assis/Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil), foi identificada uma tendência crescente de plantio de espécies arbóreas como uma proposição de controle humano dos areais, amplamente difundida entre os agricultores e a assistência técnica local e que configura o processo chamado de “verticalização da paisagem”. Para o entendimento das dimensões subjetivas que envolvem a “verticalização da paisagem”, foi adotada a fundamentação teórica e metodológica que investiga a participação dos valores ambientais como mecanismo transformador da paisagem, ou, ainda, a paisagem como manifestação espacial dos valores ambientais. Os resultados dessa pesquisa exploratória contemplam o desenvolvimento, ao longo das últimas três décadas, de uma transformação cultural, motivada por aspectos externos, regionais e globais, que resultou em valores ambientais, de âmbito local, amplamente favoráveis a uma recorrente transformação de paisagens vernaculares, predominantemente campestres, em paisagens exóticas, mediante a introdução da monocultura arbórea. / In southwest Rio Grande do Sul there can be found fields covered with sand. These specific places are called “areais”, or sand fields. The interest in studying these sand fields took place mainly after de 70s, when sand fields begin to be seen as a problem to society, as “areais” they are associated to “deserts” and the possibility of their spreading is understood as a threat to surrounding societies. In this context, new perceptions and conceptions about the sand fields begin influencing the way local farmers act in relation their existence. Since then, neighbor farmers have installed new devices that end up changing the local landscape, in order to control the "areais". These changes reveal their intentions, such as the planting of tree specimens (especially Eucalyptus) that are presented to society as capable of controlling the dynamics of sandization and the insertion of the “areais” region in a new economical matrix: the industry of silviculture. In the present study case, the “Sand Fields of Kraemer Village” (“Campos de Areia da Vila Kraemer”), in the municipality of São Francisco de Assis, was identified as a place with an increasing tendency to the planting of tree specimens with the purpose of controlling the sand fields. The practice, known as “landscape verticalization”, was broadly spread among farmers and local technical assistance as a positive method to contain sandinization. In order to understand the subjective dimensions that involve the “landscape verticalization”, the theoretical and methodological framework adopted in this study investigate environmental values that has supported these landscape transformation or, moreover, landscape as a spatial manifestation of environmental values. The results of this research contemplate the development, along the three last decades, of a cultural changing, motivated by external, regional and global aspects that have resulted in the consolidation of environmental values that favor the modification of vernacular landscapes, predominantly that of fields, into exotic ones where there can be seen monoculture trees plantations.