In this work we characterize the composition and the structure of the arboreal vegetation and analyze the geographic distribution of the species sampled in a transitional region between the Araucaria Forest and Montane Atlantic Rainforest in Piraquara, Paraná. We sampled 617 individuals, distributed in 31 families and 85 species. The most diverse families were Myrtaceae (22 species), Lauraceae (11), Rubiaceae (6) and Aquifoliaceae (4). The most important species in the structural analyses were Alsophila setosa, Ocotea catharinensis, Cyathea phalerata, Cryptocarya aschersoniana and Cordiera concolor. It was possible to evidence that the Montane Atlantic Rainforest in the state of Paraná presents differentiated floristic composition, and the existence of a transitional gradient between Araucaria and Montane Atlantic in the Parana's Atlantic range. Both composition and structure data indicate that the analyzed community is in advanced succession state and deserves rigorous conservation.
Araucaria Forest; Montane Atlantic Forest; Phytogeography; Phytosociology
