As nanoflorestas nebulares do Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brasil: análise florística, fitogeográfica e fitossociológica

Abstract

Tropical Forests are highly diverse ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable due to a complex set of factors, which vary by region. More than half of the global coverage of the tropical rainforests has been converted through anthropic actions and the remaining area is largely fragmented. Cloud Forests of the Neotropical region are among the most unknown and endangered of all tropical forest vegetation. In Brazil, the Cloud Forests have an important representation in the Serra da Mantiqueira, a mountain complex that forms part of the Atlantic Forest, extending from the Planalto de Caldas and the Campos do Jordão Planalto, to the Planalto of Caparaó, on the border between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, with an approximate area of 13.176 km². Work with floristic and structural descriptions in the Serra da Mantiqueira, are relatively few compared to its wide extent, and despite its floristic and ecological importance, it is still little known. Among the least known forest formations are the Dwarf Cloud Forests, as well as their relationship with local environmental variations and the way these variables provide floristic modifications in this phytophysiognomy. The aspects that involve the Dwarf Cloud Forests are related to the fact of their immersion in the cloud layer and with the local hydrological cycle. They occur in narrow altitude belts, in ridges of mountainous relief or in mountain peaks, with the distribution of species similar to archipelagos. Aiming to increase knowledge about the altitude formations of the Serra da Mantiqueira, this study was developed with the objectives of (1) to know the floristic composition of the Dwarf Cloud Forests and the contribution of the elements of tropical and temperate distribution in this phytophysiognomy, and (2) to analyze and to describe the composition, richness and diversity of species, as well as the phytosociological structure of the Dwarf Cloud Forests shrub-tree component of sections located in different altitudinal gradients in the of Ibitipoca State Park (ISP), located in Minas Gerais State, Forest Atantic domain, Serra da Mantiqueira, Southeast Region of Brazil. The ecological hypothesis that guided this work is that there are significant floristic and structural variations of the tree vegetation along the altitudinal gradient. In Chapter I, the floristic composition of the Dwarf Cloud Forests of the ISP was evaluated and phytogeography analyzes were performed. In order to carry out the survey, 12 field campaigns monthly, for one year, were carried out to collect botanical material, lasting three days each, in different areas of the ISP Dwarf Cloud Forests. For the phytogeography analyzes, the genera were classified into seven phytogeographic groups delimited based on their current diversity centers. The geographic distribution of the species was based on the consultation of the literature and specialized sites. We found 371 species, 209 genera and 73 families of phanerogams. The richest families were Orchidaceae (84 spp.), Asteraceae (39 spp.) and Melastomataceae (21 spp). The genera with the greatest wealth were Leandra (09 spp.), Epidendrum (09 spp.), Pleurothallis (09 spp.), Mikania (07 spp.) and Miconia (07 spp). The arboreal habit was predominant with 103 species (27,7%), followed by 83 shrubs (22,3%), 82 epiphytic herbs (22%), 80 terrestrial herbs (21,5%) and 23 lianas (6,5%). The genera with tropical distribution represent 86,5%, while the temperate elements represent 13,5% of the total. In Chapter II the forest structure of the Dwarf Cloud Forests of the ISP was described. Five altitudinal levels were defined ranging from 1300 m to 1600 m s.n.m. In each level 10 plots of 10 m x 20 m were randomly allocated, totaling 2.000 m² (0,2 ha) per level and a total sample of 10.000 m² (1,0 ha). In the interior of the plots were sampled all trees with diameter at breast height (DBH, measured at 1,30 m above the ground) greater or equal to 5,0 cm. The description of the structure of each community was carried out based on phytosociological parameters. The diversity of species was analyzed by the Shannon diversity index (H') and the Pielou equability (J'). The altitudinal levels were compared through the phytosociological parameters, diversity, Jaccard and Bray-Curtis similarity indices associated with dendrograms and ordering analysis through Distended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). ANOSIM One-way similarity analysis was performed to statistically test the spatial difference in species composition. For the total area, 2303 living individuals were sampled, distributed in 147 species, belonging to 37 botanical families. Among the richest families are Myrtaceae (29 spp.), Lauraceae (12 spp.), Melastomataceae (10 spp.), Rubiaceae and Sapindaceae (08 spp each). The value of the Shannon index (H') for the total area (1 ha) was 4,06 nats.ind-1, and the Pielou equability (J') was 0,81. Larger similarities were found between closer levels. DCA and dendrograms demonstrated the presence of a gradient with strong species substitution between altitudinal levels. The initial premise that ISP Dwarf Cloud Forests arboreal communities present floristic and / or structural variations in response to differences in altitude gradients was confirmed by the results presented.