Ferns and lycophytes of a vegetational mosaic from Pampa biome, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The Brazilian Pampa constitutes a grassland-forest vegetation mosaic, home to a high richness of species, including vascular plants dispersed by spores. Our aim was to conduct an inventory of ferns and lycophytes in a fragment of Pampa, located at Fazenda Estância da Quinta in the municipality of Rio Pardo, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. The species were collected and deposited in the Herbarium of the University of Caxias do Sul (HUCS). Ecological, geographic and conservation attributes of the species were recorded in the field and through bibliographic searches. The inventory resulted in the recognition of 46 species of ferns and one lycophyte (Isoetes weberi Herter), belonging to 13 families. The terrestrial habit (51%) was predominant, as well as the preferential occurrence within forest fragments (66%). Two species are on the Red List of Threatened Species. Our data reinforce the importance of preserving the Pampa landscape mosaic to maintain the diversity of ferns and lycophytes in RS.

Keywords:
biodiversity; endangered species; floristic inventory; pteridophytes; southern fields