Floristic of the herbaceous and subshrub layer of a Moist Grassland in Brasília, Brazil

Authors

  • Cássia Beatriz Rodrigues Munhoz Universidade Católica de Brasília
  • Jeanine Maria Felfili Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal

Keywords:

cerrado, floristic composition, grassland, herbaceous layer, savanna, wetland

Abstract

Little is known on the floristic richness of the herb-subshrub layer of the moist grassland, a grassy field vegetation within the Cerrado biome, although herbs and subshrubs are the major components of the Cerrado flora. The objective of this work was to characterize the floristic richness of the herb-subshrub layer of a moist grassland, in 16 ha in Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Brasília, DF (15° 56' to 15° 59' S and 47° 55' to 47° 58' W) and to compare with it with other Savana-like vegetations in central and southeastern Brazil. Vouchers were collected at quarterly intervals, from September 1999 to February 2001 along transects established in order to cover most of the study-area. A total of 197 species in 105 genera and 41 families was recorded. A species of Syngonanthus (Eriocaulaceae), probably new to science was found. The richest families were Poaceae (39 species); Cyperaceae (24); Asteraceae (21); Polygalaceae (15); Eriocaulaceae (12); Xyridaceae and Melastomataceae (8); and Fabaceae (7). Similarities between this moist grassland and 12 other sites, measured with the Sorensen index, were low, varying from 3.3% to 37.4%. The low similarities between the compared sites may be related to the differences in soil water saturation or differences in the size of the area covered by grasslands in each site. The ordination analysis readily distinguished dry from humid sites and suggested that geographic distance between the sites can also affect floristic heterogeneity in the herbaceous-subshrub component.

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Published

2007-01-01

How to Cite

Munhoz, C. B. R., & Felfili, J. M. (2007). Floristic of the herbaceous and subshrub layer of a Moist Grassland in Brasília, Brazil. Biota Neotropica, 7(3). Retrieved from //www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BN/article/view/331

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