Phytosociology of the woody and herbaceous plant assemblages in an area of caatinga in Paraíba State, Brazil

ABSTRACT The caatinga sensu stricto is a typical vegetation type of the Brazilian semiarid region and is adapted to strong seasonality in rainfall and high temperatures. It has a high species richness and a high level of beta diversity. The objective of this study was to document the flora and structure of woody and herbaceous plant assemblages of a site with caatinga vegetation. We sampled one hectare in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Almas (Paraíba State, Brazil). Our study recorded 114 species (34 woody/80 herbaceous), which is similar to other studies conducted in this vegetation type. The woody component presented density of 4822 ind.ha-1 and a basal area of 38,851 m2.ha-1. For the herbaceous plants, we recorded variation in density, percentage of soil cover, and species richness between the dry and rainy seasons. Despite the high biodiversity, the caatinga still undergoes extensive environmental degradation processes. The present study documented the structure of a conserved tract of caatinga that can be a reference for future restoration projects.