Characterization of the shrub and tree vegetation from Montane Ombrophilous Dense Forest fragments / Caracterização da vegetação arbustivo-arborea de fragmentos de Floresta Ombrofila Densa Montana

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The Atlantic Forest possesses enormous biodiversity and is highlighted by the high floristic diversity and endemism in some plant groups. The Atlantic Forest is among the most endangered tropical forests in the world and most of its remnants are small and altered fragments, or larger areas in mountains, with pronounced slope. Knowledge of the forest remnants as to floristic composition, spatial distribution of the organisms and natural regeneration is very important for measures that aim diversity conservation. In this manner, the goal of the present study was to answer the following questions: how are composition and diversity of the shrub and tree species distributed across different spatial scales, in a highly fragmented region of Atlantic Forest? Are the composition and diversity of species related to size, shape or isolation of the fragments? What is the natural regeneration potential in the fragments? Eight fragments of Montane Ombrophilous Dense Forest, sized 11 to 74 ha, were studied in the rural area of the Municipality of São Luis do Paraitinga, State of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil. In each fragment 30 point-centered quadrat were established, where shrub and tree individuals were sampled in two groups: group I-individuals larger than 1.5 m height and DBH <5 cm; group II - individuals with DBH >5 cm. A total of 1920 individuals from 196 species and 44 families were sampled. In most cases the shrub and tree communities in the studied fragments are very heterogeneous, and the species composition is influenced by geographical distance and fragment size. Richness and diversity in the fragments did not answer to the metrics usually employed in fragmentation studies (area, shape and isolation). The fact that each fragment presented a different species composition, that is, a low species similarity among fragments and high diversity between them, highlight the importance of conservation, even of small fragments, for the maintenance of the high regional diversity. The great natural regeneration potential of the analyzed group of fragments brings out even more the importance of keeping different sources of regeneration in the maintenance of the high floristic diversity in the forest fragments in the region

ASSUNTO(S)

forest fragmentation arvores atlantic forest trees mata atlantica fragmentação florestal

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados