Phytosociological study of caatinga vegetation in the Estação Ecológica of Aiuaba (ESEC), Ceará state, Brazil

Authors

  • Jesus Rodrigues Lemos Universidade Federal do Piauí Campus Ministro Reis Velloso
  • Marico Meguro Universidade de São Paulo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2015v28n2p39

Abstract

The goal of this work was to characterize the physiognomy and structure of the woody component of an area of caatinga vegetation in the Estação Ecológica (ESEC) of Aiuaba, Ceará state, thereby contributing to the knowledge of the vegetation of semiarid northeastern Brazil. Fifty sampling plots (10x10m) were randomly established in a 1.5 hectare area, where stem diameter at soil level was ? 3 cm and height was ? 1 m. The survey results included 3,007 individuals from 47 species and 20 families. Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Acanthaceae, Bignoniaceae and Rutaceae represented 66% of the species, and the first three families represented 63% of the total importance value. Croton argyrophylloides Müll. Arg., Pityrocarpa moniliformis Benth., Erythroxylum caatingae Plowman and Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud. were the most important species. Average plant height was 4.51 m, with a maximum of 13 m; average stem diameter was 7.28 cm, with a maximum of 44.88 cm. The total basal area was 18.3 m2 ha-1. The plant community can be classified as a type of caatinga with shrubs and trees, presenting similar floristic composition to other caatinga vegetation in areas of sandy sediments, and to non-thorn deciduous vegetation (“carrasco”) situated in the Ibiapaba-Araripe Complex.

Author Biographies

Jesus Rodrigues Lemos, Universidade Federal do Piauí Campus Ministro Reis Velloso

Possui Graduação em Ciências Biológicas pela Universidade Federal do Piauí (1995), Mestrado em Biologia Vegetal pela Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (1999), Doutorado em Ciências Biológicas (Botânica) pela Universidade de São Paulo (2006) e Pós-Doutorado no Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Londres (2006 e 2013). Tem experiência na área de Botânica, com ênfase em Florística e Fitossociologia da vegetação de caatinga e Fitogeografia do semi-árido brasileiro. Atualmente é Professor Adjunto IV da Universidade Federal do Piauí/CMRV.

Marico Meguro, Universidade de São Paulo

Possui graduação em História Natural pela Universidade de São Paulo (1955) e doutorado pela Universidade de São Paulo (1960). Tem experiência na área de Ecologia, com ênfase em Ecologia de Ecossistemas, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: ciclagem de nutrientes minerais, fatores de tensão, condicões fisiográficas, estrutura , composicão floristica, e fitossociologia de campo cerrado, campos rupestres e caatinga

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Published

2015-03-23

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 2 (2015)

Section

Artigos

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