REGROWTH OF CAATINGA VEGETATION AFTER SLA SHING AND BURNING, AT SERRA-TALHADA, PE, BRAZIL

Regeneration of the native vegetation after slashing and burning is im portant in the establishment of an adequate management system in fire wood producing and shifting agriculture areas. To monitor this regener ation, measurements of aboveground biomass and plant density were made , for every species, in Serra Talhada, PE, 2 months, 2 years and 6 yea rs after slashing without burning (SQ) and burning with increasing fir e intensities (Q1, Q2 and Q3). Plants coppiced more in SQ (94% of the initial 5810 plants ha(-1)) than with burning (43, 21 and 10%). Densit y decreased at 2 years and increased again at 6 years and was highest in SQ and lowest in Q3. Biomasses increased with time and were lowest with burning (6 years, SQ = 29.7 and 43 = 16.8 Mg ha(-1)). There was 2 Mg of biomass per m(2) of basal area. The number of species (initial 15) decreased after 2 months (SQ = 12 and 43 = 8), peaked at 2 years ( 43 = 15, some pioneers) and decreased again at 6 years (43 = 12). Amon g the species with highest initial densities, C. sonderianus and Mimos a sp. were favored in the competition after slashing and burning while C. leucocephala was disfavored.