Abstract
The goal of this study is to analyze the floristic patterns and the structure of disturbed and undisturbed upland forests, in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) along the Moju river, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Trees with a diameter equal to or larger than 10cm at 1.30m from the ground (DBH) ≥10cm were analyzed for the upper stratum. For the middle stratum, individuals with DBH between 4.99 and 9.99cm were sampled. Forty-five families and 221 species were found in disturbed forests, and 43 families and 208 species in undisturbed forests. Floristic similarity was high between strata and between forest types, with values above 50%. Similarity was highest between middle strata. The most species-abundant families in undisturbed forests were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Chrysobalanaceae and Myrtaceae; the species with the highest density there were Eschweilera grandiflora, Licania sclerophylla and Zygia cauliflora. In disturbed forests, the dominant families were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Lecythidaceae and Melastomataceae. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 3.21 for undisturbed forests and 2.85 for disturbed forests. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis did not group the forests by their floristic composition in both upper and middle strata. Overall, the PPA forests along the Moju river, even if disturbed, did not show major floristic changes but substantially change their structural characteristics.
Highlights
Riparian forests in Amazonia are plant formations with a floristic composition and vegetation structure quite similar to those of upland forest areas, and are considered as such
The study was conducted in the municipality of Moju, eastern Pará, Brazil, in Permanent Preservation Areas of rural properties in the Moju river basin (01° 26’ 31.7”-02° 24’ 31.3”S and 048° 26’ 54.2”-048° 59’ 21.8”W)
Considering all sampled plots and the upper and middle strata of the two types of forests, a total of 4227 individuals belonging to 47 families and 270 species were identified
Summary
Riparian forests in Amazonia are plant formations with a floristic composition and vegetation structure quite similar to those of upland forest areas, and are considered as such They are located along the edges of water courses and perform an important environmental role, mainly in the prevention of soil erosion and stilting of rivers, maintaining water quality and contributing to the preservation of biodiversity. The concept of Permanent Preservation Areas in the Forest Law of 1965 emerged to ensure the integrity of the vegetation for maintaining the physical and biological equilibrium in Brazilian biomes. These are areas exclusively for preservation and cannot be utilized for agricultural or farming activities, forest extraction or recreational uses (Sparovek et al, 2011). The conservation role of PPAs presumably increases in highly deforested regions, such as the Belém Area of Endemism, that has reached at least 75% of the original extent and further extensive forest loss (Almeida and Vieira, 2010; Amaral et al, 2012)
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