Alternative criteria to achieve sustainable management of Mezilaurus itauba in the Brazilian Amazon

The aims of this study were to evaluate the Brazilian law parameters for tropical forest management regarding forest recovery and to propose alternative criteria to achieve sustainability, using Mezilaurus itauba (Meisn.) Taub. ex Mez as case study. The diameter structure was obtained from a 100% forest inventory of a 500 ha forest compartment. The assessment of M. itauba growth, ingrowth and mortality were carried out in a two sample plot of 50 ha located on the compartment, where all commercial species were measured both before and 7 years after logging. First it was evaluated the species structure and its most productive diameter class. The species recovery of timber volume has been simulated for the minimum logging diameter (MLD) of 50, 60, 70 and 80 cm. The largest volume recover was reached for the 60 cm MLD class. We showed that there is a diametric limit to achieve net timber volume production and that different remnant structures produce different increments.