Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

PHYTOSOCIOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF A FOREST FRAGMENT CAATINGA, CEARÁ STATE, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT

Most of the northeastern territory of Brazil is occupied by scrub, which is characterized by xerophytic vegetation, different vegetation types and a biome considered more sensitive to human interference and climate. This study aimed to characterize the floristic composition and structure of a fragment savanna located in Chapada Moura region, at Farm Elmo Moreno Iguatu, Ceará state. Forty-five (45) plots of 10x20 m were established and all individuals with diameter ≥ 3 cm and height ≥ 1 m were measured. Two thousand and two hundred fifty-six (2256) individuals ha-1, representing 36 species, 29 genera and 13 families were observed. Species diversity was low compared to other vegetation types with Shannon Index of 1.59. Croton sonderianus and Combretum leprosum were the species with the highest DoR, DR, F, IVC and IVI followed Pityrocarpa moniliformis. The presence of a large number of unique and rare woody species shows that the work done so far has not yet sampled the diversity of species present in the different regions of the Biome. This 70-year preserved area is still in early stages of ecological succession evidenced by low species richness and greater occurrence of species of the genus Croton.

Keywords:
vegetation; forest species; phytosociological parameters

Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Av. Roraima, 1.000, 97105-900 Santa Maria RS Brasil, Tel. : (55 55)3220-8444 r.37, Fax: (55 55)3220-8444 r.22 - Santa Maria - RS - Brazil
E-mail: cienciaflorestal@ufsm.br