In Cerrado humid areas, veredas are considered as hygrophilous communities, marked by the presence of the Mauritia flexuosa palm tree emerging in the wetter zones. Changes in veredas ecosystems due ...to drought and changes in the water table, which represent important areas for biodiversity maintenance in the Brazilian cerrado, can lead to the emergence of new landscapes and ecosystems. Assuming that the veredas are changed in species composition due to anthropogenic factors, in this study, we evaluated the flora composition and described the current vegetation profile of two veredas under different disturbances levels that are located in the north of Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
Altogether, 2,268 individuals of 91 species belonging to 36 families were recorded. Our results demonstrated that the studied veredas were floristically different in terms of the arboreous-shrubby species composition, richness, and diversity. Despite the hygrophilous forest formations and open areas in the two veredas present typical species from these environments (same species with high importance values), the drought in the water table caused an expansion of Cerrado species in the open areas and in the hygrophilous forest. Furthermore, in the hygrophilous forest there was an increase in the abundance of species that occur in less saturated soils.
Our results demonstrate that the studied veredas are changing in species composition due to anthropogenic factors which leads to the drought of these formations (water balance effect). These anthropogenic effects cause a modification with the expansion and increase in the abundance of typical species of other areas of Cerrado and resistant to less saturated soils, leading to the veredas collapse. Finally, future studies should investigate other veredas on a broader scale to detect changes in the water table that lead to a consequent change in vegetation structure. In this way, we will have support for the conscientious management and conservation of these areas that represent equilibrium places for the Cerrado biome.
The vegetation of Myristica swamp forests in Kulathupuzha, southern Kerala, India, was examined with reference to floristic composition, structure and diversity. Quadrates of 100 × 10 m were laid ...inside (17) and outside the swamps (14), and trees >10 cm girth at breast height were enumerated. A total of 2246 individual trees belonging to 58 species were recorded inside the swamps as against 1203 trees belonging to 89 species from outside the swamps. A total of 1775 shrubs belonging to 46 species and 26 species of herbs with 1082 individuals were recorded from inside the swamps. A total of 3535 shrubs belonging to 83 species and 491 herbs belonging to 30 species were recorded from outside the swamps. The Myristica swamp forests showed less diversity when compared to other forest types and was dominated by two Myristicaceae species, Myristica fatua var. magnifica and Gymnacranthera farquhariana. Comparison with Myristica swamps in other regions indicates that the Kulathupuzha region has the largest populations of the endangered M. fatua var. magnifica. Immediate steps for conservation are suggested.
This study is a contribution to the knowledge of the floristic composition and syntaxonomical significance of
woodlands of Tizi Ouzou province, which represent the last remnants of ancient forests. ...The field surveys were taken in several locations representative of cork oak woodlands, using the Braun-Blanquet method. A matrix of 96 phytosociological relevés and 160 plant taxa was treated with clustering analysis and correspondence analysis. These multivariate analyses showed congruent results and allowed the definition of four main clusters of cork oak woodlands, corresponding to four syntaxa according to synecological and syndynamic gradients. They belong to three associations, of which one is newly described, and two subassociations. They are:
ass. nov., a mesophilous association newly described here, on siliceous soils and in the humid ombrotype;
, a mesophilous association, with two subassociations:
, and
, this later reported for the first time in the study area, and both localized in the humid ombrotype and confined on markedly acid soils;
, thermophilous secondary shrubland association developed in the subhumid ombrotype, on flysch substrates, also identified for the first time in this area. Syntaxonomic, synecological and syndynamic considerations are given for each syntaxon.
Disturbances affecting flow and sediment transport regimes (e.g. dams, diversions, gravel mining, weirs, bank reinforcements, climate changes) can promote riverbed degradation and channel narrowing, ...and thus influence vegetation dynamics and composition. This study investigates the relationships and feedbacks between channel adjustments and riparian vegetation dynamics by combining an analysis of morphological channel changes with a wider phytosociology analysis of existing vegetation within the river corridor. These relationships were illustrated by using the case study of the Panaro River (located in the Northern Apennines, Italy), being a representative case of a deeply incised and narrowed river. More specifically we analyzed: (1) the relations between landforms and distributional patterns of vegetation types and characteristic plant species (index species): these provided information about the hydrogeomorphic condition of fluvial landforms and about channel adjustments; (2) the distance of riparian vegetation conditions from expected conditions as a consequence of human impact, based on the fact that each species and vegetation type has a given tolerance for specific disturbance regimes or stresses. Although some expected relations between landforms and vegetation types were found, we recorded significant deviations from the typical correlation pattern existing between morphology and vegetation, and this could be used to infer the intensity and the typology of human disturbances. In particular, the index species can indicate present ecological conditions and on past channel evolution. With this knowledge it might be possible to develop botanical recovery models in the future and, even more importantly, enable the recognition of the differences between temporal and spatial diversity.
O Pontal do Paranapanema, extremo oeste do Estado de São Paulo, é marcado pela recente devastação florestal, e ações visando à recuperação de áreas onde outrora havia cobertura florestal tornam-se ...indispensáveis para a conservação da biodiversidade na região, principalmente quando se trata de áreas de Reserva Legal ou Preservação Permanente. Diante do exposto, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a dinâmica inicial da composição florística em uma área de Reserva Legal restaurada. O trabalho foi realizado no assentamento Nova Esperança, Município de Euclides da Cunha Paulista, em uma área de 26,75 ha. O levantamento das espécies foi realizado pelo método de parcelas (16 parcelas de 20 x 30 m) em duas fases distintas do plantio, e as análises foram feitas utilizando-se o software Fitopac. Os resultados evidenciaram diminuição da biodiversidade pela alta mortalidade de espécies, levando à conclusão de que em projetos de restauração as intervenções são necessárias para a manutenção do plantio mesmo em sua fase inicial.
The Pontal do Paranapanema Region is located in the western range of the State of São Paulo is characterized by recent forest destruction and actions are needed for forest restorations and conservation of biodiversity in the region, principally when if treated of areas of Legal Reserve or Permanent Preservation. Before of the exposed this research had it objective analyze the dynamics initial from floristic composition an area of Legal Reserve restored. This work was realized into the Nova Esperança settlement, city of Euclides da Cunha Paulista, an area of 26,75 ha. The lifting from the species was realized at method of parcels (16 parcels of 20 x 30 m ) into two phases differentiate of the plantation, and the analisys have been using Fitopac software.The results they show only one decrease from biodiversity by high mortality of species, taking the conclusive what projects of restoration, intervention so necessary about to conservation of the plantation even in initial phase.
The research was conducted between March 2013 and July 2014 in preservation areas that protect water resources in the Andreas Stream Basin, RS, and aimed to evaluate the phytosociological structure ...of these areas, which were established through the Payment for Environmental Services (PES). A total of 83 species, distributed in 72 genera and 34 families were recorded in twenty sampling points. The results of the cluster analysis indicate the occurrence of five groups based on the averages of the Importance Value Index (IVI), highlighting Group 1 that showed the highest average and significant differences (p<0.05) compared to the other groups, being them: Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hill., Cambess. & A. J.) R, Casearia silvestres SW, Cupania vernalis Cambess, Inga marginata Willd, Matayba elaeagnoides Radlk. and Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng.) Mez. These species are recommended for restoration in preservation areas that were degraded, highlighting that PES is highly efficient in terms of sustainability.
. The Ginkgo software is a subset of the VegAna (for Vegetation edition and Analysis) package that contains three programs named Quercus, Fagus and Yucca. Ginkgo is a multivariate analysis tool; it ...is oriented mainly towards ordination and classification of ecological data. Quercus is a relevé table editor; it handles community data to perform a phytosociological analysis. Fagus is a floristic citation editor; it can handle data coming from field surveys, bibliographic sources or collections. Yucca is a cartographic tool; it allows plotting distributions of taxa or syntaxa.
VegAna is produced by the Department of Vegetal Biology, University of Barcelona. The general project is directed by Xavier Font I Castell, the Ginkgo module by Francesc Oliva I Cuyàs. Programmers are Miquel De Cáceres and Richard Garcia. This review deals primarily with Ginkgo.
We evaluated growth, abandonment, decay and emergence of new nests of the Neotropical termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in an area ...of caatinga (arid thorn scrub in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil). In an area of 1 ha, a total of 272 nests were observed monthly, from March 2005 to March 2007. Of these, 245 nests were small, 9 were of medium size, and 18 were large nests. During the rainy season (from June to February), nests grew 94.2 L, whereas during the dry season (March–May), their total growth was 23 L. The number of abandoned nests was positively correlated with rainfall. Decomposition of nests was greater during the rainy season. The pattern of nest distribution was associated with the distribution of the primary supporting plants. Rainfall appears to be one of the most important factors in the dynamics of growth of nests of C. cyphergaster in the caatinga.
We conduct a study of the dry forest in areas of scant rainfall in the Dominican Republic; these are sites with particular endemic habitats, as the samples reveal a high rate of local and insular ...endemic species, with 84 (24.85%) endemisms. This work covers dry forests rich in coarse spiny plants and includes a statistical (multivariate analysis), phytosociological and catenal study of the vegetation. We analyse the floristic composition, ecology, distribution and richness in endemisms of each association. The bioclimatic analysis reveals the different thermotypes and ombrotypes on the island, and locates the proposed plant associations in the infra- and thermotropical thermotypes, and in the arid, semiarid and dry ombrotypes. As a result of this phytosociological analysis, we propose the new alliance Harrio nashii–Acacion skleroxylae and four plant associations: Harrisio nashii–Prosopidetum juliflorae, Crotono poitaei–Erythroxyletum rotundifolii , Lonchocarpo pycnophylli–Cylindropuntietum caribaeae and Neoabbottio paniculatae–Guaiacetum officinali ; these associations connect catenally with the subhumid forest and mangrove swamps.
PDF
