The aim of this research was to analyze the composition and structure of the plant community in four phytophysiognomies at Pantanal Poconé-Mato Grosso, assuming that each sample group is a type of community, and there would be a corresponding group of species that characterize that community. We set up five plots of 50 × 50 m and subdivided each one into subplots of 10 × 10 m. In each subplot, individuals with CAP (circunference at breast height) > 10 cm were sampled. To check the structural and floristic similarity of the five vegetation types the unweighted averages grouping method was used - UPGMA, with Jaccard's coefficient and Bray-Curtis, respectively. DCA ordination of plots was used for inundation gradient analysis and TWINSPAN indicator species groups for the three strata. In the four areas 55 species belonging to 30 families were sampled. The UPMGA indicated floristic and structural differences between "cambarazal", savanna types and "campo de murundu" and similarity between the semideciduous formations. The DCA separated the vegetation types according to the level of flooding and TWINSPAN indicated the existence of typical species for each vegetation type. In the Pantanal, some species may be restricted to certain types of vegetation, and these species can be used as indicators of the effect of flooding and possible changes in flood pulse dynamics in plant communities.
flood pulse; indicator species
