The vegetation structure of a restinga forest in the "Paulo César Vinha" State Park (PCVSP), Setiba, Municipality of Guarapari (ES) was studied using 100 sampling plots (10 × 10 m) in four transects perpendicular to the coastline. A total of 2,106 trees (dbh > 4.8 cm) were sampled and total basal area was 27.52 m².ha-1 and species diversity (H') was 3.73 nats (67 dead standing trees were not included). Based on decreasing importance values (VI), the following families and species outstanded: Myrtaceae, Sapotaceae, Annonaceae, Bombacaceae, and Meliaceae; Pouteria coelomatica, Myrciaria floribunda, Oxandra nitida, Chrysophyllum lucentifolium and Aspidosperma parvifolium. Forest structure and species composition vary on the gradient from the ocean landward, forming three dissimilar species groups. Some species were found only in one of these groups and species dominance also differed zonally. It is proposed that the studied community is called "non-flooded forest formation" instead of the traditionally "Myrtaceae forest" or "dry forest", since family and species composition do not allow a more detailed classification.
phytosociology; forest formation; restinga
