Floristics and structure of a stretch of riparian forest in Carinhanha river, Feira da Mata, Bahia

Abstract

This study aimed to contribute to understanding the floristic composition and vegetation structure of a stretch of riparian forest on the banks of Carinhanha river, belonging to the São Francisco river basin, in a fragment of Cerrado sensu lato, in Feira da Mata, Bahia, Brazil. Four equidistant 50 m transects were placed, as well as twelve 10 m x 25 m plots, distributed among transects, totaling 3,000 m² (0.3 ha). All live and dead individuals with DBH ? 5 cm were sampled. In the floristic survey, a total of 105 species, 87 genera, and 42 families were sampled. In the phytosociological study, a total of 217 individuals distributed into 54 species, 49 genera, and 29 families were registered. The family having the greatest species richness was Fabaceae, which included 24.07% of all species sampled. The species Oxandra reticulata Maas showed the greatest importance value. The density was 723 individuals.ha^-1 and the basal area was 14.52 m².ha^-1. Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index (H`) was 3.62. Sørensen’s index (Sø) showed low similarity with to other riparian fragments. We concluded that the area under study shares species with other Cerrado physiognomies and it has species from Caatinga, something which confirms the heterogeneity of this formation.