Floristic composition, pollination and seed-dispersal systems in a target cerrado conservation area

Abstract: Cerrado remnants can hold an important diversity of plant species of environmental and ecological relevance. We presented a checklist of vascular plants based on 12 years of inventory carried out in 36 plots (10 m x 2 m; 0.18 ha in total) and during unsystematic walks in a remnant area of cerrado sensu stricto located at Itirapina municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The list comprised 195 plant species, corresponding to 54 families and 131 genera. The richest families were Fabaceae (25 species), Asteraceae (16), Myrtaceae (16), Rubiaceae (11), Bignoniaceae and Malpighiaceae (10 each), Melastomataceae (9), and Erythroxylaceae, Sapindaceae and Annonaceae (6). Predominant life forms included shrubs and trees, with 68% of the species, followed by lianas with 12%, sub-shrub and herbs with 10% each. Bees were the dominant pollinators (67,5%) and the majority of species had seeds dispersed by animals (56.8%), mostly by birds, followed by wind (33.3%) and self-dispersed (11.2%). More than 60% of the total species were classified as “typical” Cerrado species. Bowdichia virgilioides was the only species classified as Near Threatened (NT) and 157 were regarded as Data Deficient (DD). Our dataset provides floristic, structural, and ecological information for one of the targeted areas for Cerrado survey at São Paulo state, contributing to the understanding of diversity patterns and future conservation and restoration actions in this threatened hotspot.

摘要：塞拉多（Cerrado）残遗植被蕴藏着兼具重要环境与生态价值的植物物种多样性。本研究基于巴西东南部圣保罗州伊蒂拉皮纳市一处严格型塞拉多（cerrado sensu stricto）残遗植被区域内，36个样地（10 m × 2 m，总面积0.18 公顷）历时12年的野外调查，以及非系统踏查数据，整理得到一份维管植物（vascular plants）名录。该名录共收录195种植物，隶属于54科131属。物种丰富度居前的科依次为豆科（Fabaceae，25种）、菊科（Asteraceae，16种）、桃金娘科（Myrtaceae，16种）、茜草科（Rubiaceae，11种）、紫葳科（Bignoniaceae）与金虎尾科（Malpighiaceae，各10种）、野牡丹科（Melastomataceae，9种），以及古柯科（Erythroxylaceae）、无患子科（Sapindaceae）和番荔枝科（Annonaceae，各6种）。优势生活型为灌木与乔木，占总物种数的68%；其次为藤本，占12%；亚灌木与草本各占10%。蜜蜂为优势传粉类群（67.5%）；多数物种的种子依靠动物传播（56.8%），其中以鸟类传播为主，其次为风传（33.3%）与自体传播（11.2%）。超过60%的物种被归类为典型塞拉多物种。仅Bowdichia virgilioides被列为近危（NT），另有157种被列为数据缺乏（DD）。本数据集为圣保罗州塞拉多调查的目标区域之一提供了植物区系、群落结构与生态特征信息，有助于阐明该受威胁生物多样性热点地区的多样性格局，为该区域未来的保护与修复行动提供科学支撑。