Abstract
We provide a checklist of angiosperms collected in the Paraná River Delta Region during the 1990s and early 2000s. Plants were taxonomically identified and classified according to their origin (native/endemic and exotic) and functional group based on their distribution, biological type, morpho-ecology, photosynthetic type and life cycle. A total of 79 families and 375 species were recorded, of which 87.5% were native (46.93% of subtropical-temperate distribution) and 12.5% were exotic (62.72% of temperate distribution). The herbaceous broadleaf and graminoid vegetation predominated in native (76.65%) and exotic (82.35%) species groups. There were only equisetoid herbaceous plants in native species group. Rooted emergent plants and the C3 functional group predominated among native (88.69% and 80.62%, respectively) and exotic (100% in both cases) species groups. Most of the native plants (85.23%) were perennials, while annuals and perennials were equally represented among the exotic species.
Highlights
The large wetlands of South America, associated with the floodplains of the large rivers (Orinoco, Amazonas and Paraná), are macrosystems of sub-regional extent in which spatial and temporal fluctuations of the water table constrain biogeochemical cycles and fluxes, promote soils with strong hydromorphic features, and support a very rich and particular biota, well adapted to a wide range of water availability and hydroperiods
We provide a checklist of angiosperms collected in the Paraná River Delta Region during the 1990s and early 2000s
Most of the native species had a subtropical-temperate distribution (46.93%; Table 1 and Figure 2), while species of temperate distribution predominated among the exotic angiosperms (62.72%; Table 2 and Figure 2)
Summary
The large wetlands of South America, associated with the floodplains of the large rivers (Orinoco, Amazonas and Paraná), are macrosystems of sub-regional extent in which spatial and temporal fluctuations of the water table constrain biogeochemical cycles and fluxes, promote soils with strong hydromorphic features, and support a very rich and particular biota, well adapted to a wide range of water availability and hydroperiods. The Paraná River is unique among the large rivers of the world in that it flows from tropical to temperate latitudes. The particular spatial-temporal hydrological dynamics of the delta leads to a highly heterogeneous environment, supporting high levels of plant and animal biodiversity (Malvárez 1999; Kandus et al 2003). Species typical of these wetlands have different strategies to cope with hydrological changes, including survival during periods of soil anoxia and/or the presence of structures providing buoyancy (Tiner 1999)
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