Florística e estrutura da vegetação arbustivo-arbórea das Areias Brancas do Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana/Sergipe, Brasil

Abstract

The Serra de Itabaiana National Park is distinguished by its phytophysiognomic diversity, among which, a locally known as Areias Brancas (white sands), an open vegetation, ranging from herb-shrub to shrub-tree and classified by some authors as restinga or cerrado, depending on its size. Aiming to characterize and classify vegetational type were selected two sites in Areias Brancas of Serra de Itabaiana National Park and built a list following deposited material in the ASE Herbarium and additional sampling. To the phytosociological study it was used the wandering quarter method, sampling all individuals with trunk circumference (> 15 cm) at breast height (1.30 m). It was verified, at the Areias Brancas, the occurrence of 193 species belonging to 145 genera and 60 families that are mostly represented by herb and shrub species. It is noticeable the high number of species found in Areias Brancas when compared with studies conducted throughout the National Park. There are significant floristic similarity between sampling sites, but structurally the two areas should be considered as different sucessional faces, due to variations in density, height and dominance. Even with plant species in common, the Areias Brancas of the National Park can not be classified as restinga or cerrado for not having common origins for these formations. The Areias Brancas should be considered as an ecological refuge, an azonal vegetation derived from the special conditions of substrate formation.