Fragmentation is intense in Amazon forest especially in Mato Grosso State. Loss of original vegetation is expected along with a transitional flora in such fragments, having elements of rainforest and Cerrado vegetation with abundant pioneer species. Goal of this work was to evaluate the floristic composition and phytosociology of the arboreal vegetation of an urban forest fragment in Sinop, Mato Grosso. It was intended to confirm its transitional characteristic and to detect possible perturbation due to fragmentation. The trial had 25 (20 x 20 m) permanent plots, where all individuals over 15 cm gbh were assessed. A total of 36 families, 81 genera and 113 species were found in the area with 1555 ind.ha-1 plant density. The largest family was Leguminosae with 14 species. The most frequent species were: Cecropia sciadophylla, Cecropia sp., Bellucia grossularioides e Vismia guianensis. Shannon (H') diversity index reached 3.55 nats.ind-1, considered high for transitional forests. Pielou's evenness was 0.75, suggesting high dominance of few species. In a decreasing ranking of VI (%) the most frequent species were: Cecropia sp., Bellucia grossularioides, Qualea ingens, Cecropia sciadophylla, Vismia guianensis, Miconia prasina, Trattinickia burserifolia, Unonopsis guatterioides and Schefflera vinosa. The Amazon and Cerrado mixed floristic composition confirms the fragment as transitional and the abundance of pioneer species suggests disturbances caused by fragmentation.
Amazon; bioindicators; cerrado; seasonal forest; transitional forest
