Evaluation of Vegetation after Four Years in a Caatinga Fragment in the State of Sergipe, Brazil

Abstract The comparison of vegetation at two different moments allows for recognizing the stability of plant communities. The structure and floristic composition of a Caatinga fragment in the municipality of Poço Verde, state of Sergipe, were evaluated after four years (2011-2015). Sampling was performed through 30 plots of 20 m × 20 m, considering individuals with circumference at breast height ≥ 6 cm. Despite the increase in density (0.79%) and basal area (4.82%), changes in floristic composition, in Shannon-Wiener diversity (from 3.33 nats.ind-1 to 3.30 nats.ind-1) and in Pielou equability (from 0.78 to 0.80) were small. None of the structural parameters evaluated (richness, density, basal area, importance value and Shannon-Wiener diversity) significantly differed between evaluation periods. The vegetation remained stable over time, tolerating current anthropization levels and enabling the use of its natural resources through planned management.