Climbers of an insular landscape in upper Paraná River of the Southeast Brazil: floristic composition and identification keys

Resumo

Abstract Climbing species in the Neotropics are diverse and polyphyletic, contributing approximately 10,000 species to angiosperms and occurring across a wide range of forests and savannas. They play essential roles in these ecosystems by interacting with pollinators and influencing the growth dynamics of host plants. Despite their ecological importance, little is known about the richness and composition of climbing plants in fluvial island environments. In this study, we aimed to: (i) inventory the climbing plants species of Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Southeast Brazil; and (ii) provide identification keys for the species recorded in the area. We conducted unsystematic walks, with bimonthly collections in 2018 and monthly collections in 2019, mainly along edges and trails. We deposited the voucher specimens in the Ilha Solteira Herbarium (HISA) and identified the plants using standard taxonomic methodology. We recorded 39 species of climbing plants, belonging to 33 genera and 18 families, with Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, and Convolvulaceae being the richest families. Most species were woody (59%), and zoochorous dispersal was the predominant syndrome. We also developed an identification key for the families of climbing plants of Ilha Solteira, which can be further expanded into seven family-specific keys: Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malpighiaceae, Passifloraceae, Sapindaceae, and Vitaceae. As the first inventory of climbing plants in a fluvial island ecosystem, our findings are expected to support further ecological and botanical research, as well as contribute to practical measures for biodiversity conservation and management in the region.