Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Cerrado is the second largest biome in Brazil and the most biodiverse tropical savannah in the world and acts as a great sequester of atmospheric carbon. The lack of studies related to the quantification of its total biomass compromises the understanding of the dynamics of CO(2) in this biome. Thus, it is relevant to develop studies aiming at obtaining accurate estimates of the carbon stock in the different phytophysiognomies that make the Cerrado, to include them in appropriate forest management models. Based on the hypothesis that the amount of carbon stored can vary according to the vegetation typology and vegetation compartments, the aerial stock of dry biomass and carbon were estimated in different compartments (arboreal, herbaceous-shrub and litter). The study was developed in open Brazilian savannah and soils on the sandstone and discussed the effect of fire on this phytophysiognomy. For the arboreal compartment were adjusted mathematical models to fit the biomass equations to estimate the individual stock of the trees in this compartment. The results of the stocks were discussed considering the effect of fire on the phytophysiognomy. RESULTS: Based on the precision and extra distribution measures, the Schumacher-Hall (non-logarithmic) equation presented better results to estimate the individual biomass and carbon stocks of the open Brazilian savannah trees. The aboveground biomass was 12.88 Mg ha(-1), corresponding to a total carbon stock of 5.91 Mg ha(-1), where most of the stocks are in the herbaceous-shrub compartment (44%). The arboreal compartment accounts for the smallest part of the stocks, followed by the litter. CONCLUSIONS: The observed values are in the interval verified for other areas of savannah studied in Brazil. The values verified for the open Brazilian savannah in sandy soils are at the lower limit of this range, due to the nutrient-poor nature of this type of soil. The distribution of stocks in the different compartments above the ground points to the fragility of this environment to the random fire effect, common in the region. That shows the need for conservation measures for vegetation maintenance and soil protection to preserve adequate nutrient cycling in the ecosystem.