Check List 8(4): 832–838, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution PECIES S remnant in southeastern Brazil OF Floristic composition of a freshwater * swamp forest ISTS L Júlio H. Ribeiro Magalhães and Rita C. S. Maimoni-Rodella Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Universidade Estadual Paulista,[email protected] Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica. Distrito de Rubião Júnior. Caixa Postal 510, CEP 18618-000. * Corresponding author. E-mail: Abstract: The floristic composition in a freshwater swamp forest remnant located in the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, was studied. Only Angiosperms were collected in the area by means of random walks. A total of 92 species withwere aregistered. continuous The canopy families and with an inferior greater tree species layer richness composed were: mainly Orchidaceae by individuals (17 species), of Euterpe Rubiaceae edulis Mart.. (8) and A comparison Myrtaceae among(5). The the arboreal angiosperms component of the was study predominant. area and those The profile of ten swampdiagram forests of the vegetationin São Paulo showed state suggests a well-defined that the stratification, geographic position and other ecologic peculiarities of these forests, besides soil flooding, are factors that can influence their similarity concerning the floristic composition. Introduction municipality covers an area of 1495 km2, and has three Among the several vegetation formations found in distinct physiographic regions: one located in the area Brazil, the freshwater swamp forests are very peculiar called Peripheral Depression, with altitudes ranging from 400 to 600 meters, an intermediate region (or transition zone) composed by a slope, and one located at the top coverand occur a quite in permanently limited area, floodedconsidering soil. Thesethe entire forests country have of the slope, called “Cuesta” region, which altitude varies (Marquescharacteristic et al .structure 2003). The and swamp floristic forests composition, are composed and from 700 to 900 meters (Castro 1966). In the latter region lies the study area, which is surrounded by pastures and by species that occur in confined areas and this make the the points with higher topography, and Hydromorphic environmentalpopulations more factors, vulnerable like water to extinction stress, select in the species short alluvialold fields, soil with in the soil lower classified points as(Comissão Oxisol, sandy de Solos phase, 1960). in whichterm (Rodrigues form large populations,and Leitão-Filho resulting 2001). in theIn these occurrence areas, The sample area is located in a slight slope between 853 of lower species diversity (Toniato et al. 1998; Ivanauskas and 862 meters of altitude, where the soil is constantly et al. 1997; Costa et al. 1997). wet due to the upwelling of water-holes and the intake The protection of swamp forests is highly important, of water from a nearby stream. These features allow the considering that they are so essential to the ecological balance, being generally related to the maintenance of springs and other water bodies. Studies on reforestation 2001).classification of the vegetation as a freshwater swamp and dynamics of fragmented vegetation areas depend forestThe permanently climate of the flooded region (Rodrigues is Cfa according and Leitão-Filho to Koeppen on data provided by surveys and ecological evaluations made at different times, which can provide information on the dynamic of ecological changes in remnants of theclassification, hottest month that is,with warm an average temperate temperature (mesothermal) of 23.1°C, wet, natural vegetation (Kronka et al. 2005). andas determined July is the coldest by Cunha month and with Martins an average (2009). temperature February is of 17.1°C. The highest average rainfall generally occurs to provide a check list of the Angiosperms present in a in January and the lowest generally occurs in August. freshwaterConsidering swamp this, forest a floristic remnant, inventory in the wasmunicipality performed of The average annual temperature and precipitation, Botucatu, central-west region of São Paulo state, Brazil. considering a 36-year period (1971 to 2006) were 20.3°C This study was performed aiming to add information to and 1428.4 mm, respectively (Cunha and Martins 2009). in relation to the non-arboreal species, which are less well-knownthe knowledge than of the the arboreal swamp componentsforests floristic, of the especially studied The floristic survey was carried out from November vegetation. species2009 to preferably October in2010 reproductive on a bi-monthly phase, present basis inin that an approximately 1 ha area of forest. All the Angiosperm Materials and Methods The studied swamp forest remnant is located at collection,area, were where collected the voucher and identified specimens using were specialized deposited coordinates 22°52’52” S and 48°29’32” W, in the District (“Irinaliterature Delanova and comparison Gemtchújnicov” with theHerbarium, Herbarium Botucatu BOTU west region of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The system was that recommended by the Angiosperm of Rubião Junior, Botucatu Municipality, at the central- Biosciences Institute, UNESP). The adopted classification 832 Magalhães and Maimoni-Rodella | Floristics of a freshwater swamp in Brazil Phylogeny Group III (APG III 2009). The plants habits et al. (2001). There are also similarities in relation to some genera of the non-arboreal species among these surveys but the species occurred only in one location. were defined according to the descriptions found in delimitedGonçalves andand allLorenzi the woody (2007). plants with stem perimeter the non-arboreal species in swamp forests may also be at breastInside height the sampled equal or superiorarea a 30 to 12x 5 cm m were transect recorded was peculiarThis seems but tothe indicate scarcity that of data the isfloristic an obstacle composition to further of considerations. according to Goldsmith et al. (1986). and drawn, in order to prepare a profile diagram, Calophyllum brasiliense, Protium spruceanum, Cedrela study area with 11 other surveys found in the literature, odorataAccording, Dendropanax to Teixeira cuneatus and Assis, Magnolia (2005) ovata the ,species Styrax performedAiming previouslyto estimate in theswamp floristic forests similarity located ofin Sãothe pohlii and Tapirira guianensis, all together, constitute an arboreal components of the vegetation was elaborated to the swamp forests of the upcountry of the São Paulo state. Paulo state, a presence/absence matrix including only the important group that defines a similar structure among species that concentrate many individuals in the total calculate the Jaccard similarity index (JSI) according to community.These forests Among are characterized these seven by species, the existence only Cedrela of few algorithmMueller-Dombois for the anddendrogram Ellenberg preparation (1974) and (Sneath to perform and odorata was not found in the Botucatu swamp forest. Sokala cluster 1973). analysis using this Index and the UPGMA Calophyllum brasiliense, Dendropanax cuneatus, Magnolia ovata, Styrax pohlii and Tapirira guianensis occurred Results and Discussion in the swamp forest in Botucatu, and also were present A total of 92 species of angiosperms were collected in other 11 surveys performed in swamp forests in the upcountry of the São Paulo state (Table 2). Despite the fact that these swamp forests possess and identified at least at family level. Among these, 68 a peculiar group of arboreal species, the comparison were identified at the species level, seven had specific identification to be confirmed and 17 species were wereidentified represented only to genus by larger level numbers (Table 1). of In species, this inventory 17 and among different surveys (Figure 1) evidences that in 47 families were sampled and Orchidaceae and Rubiaceae (JSI)some casescan be there considered is a low floristic low, according similarity, toconsidering Mueller- that the values obtained for the Jaccard similarity index totaleight ofrespectively. species, the In following descending families order, can after be Orchidaceaepointed out: This fact has been already reported elsewhere (Torres and Rubiaceae which together account for 27% of the etDombois al. 1994; and Ivanauskas Ellenberg (1974),et al. 1997). that is, The inferior several to other25%. (four species each), Apocynaceae and Cyperaceae species, which occur less frequently in swamp forests, Myrtaceae (five species), Bromeliaceae and Meliaceae contribute to the greater dissimilarity among these formations. It is known that the presence or absence of and(three Styracaceae species each), (two species Arecaceae, each), Asteraceae, and other 32 Fabaceae, families these other species is related to environmental factors presentMelastomataceae, in the area withMyrsinaceae, only one speciesPiperaceae, each. Rutaceae such as canopy openness, variations in topography, level The study area presented high family richness, especially concerning the woody components, as et al. commonly found in swamp forests (Ivanauskas et al. of soil flooding (Teixeira and Assis 2009), and soil type 1997, Marques et al. 2003, Torres et al. 1994). In total, between(Teixeira fragmentsand Assis inserted2009; Kotchetkoff-Henriques in remote regions or, in the each family was represented by few species or even by just opposite2005). Therefore, way, dissimilarity it is possible between