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RESUMO -(Fitossociologia do estrato herbáceo-subarbustivo de uma área de campo sujo no Distrito Federal, Brasil). O campo sujo consiste basicamente de um estrato herbáceo sub-arbustivo dominado por gramíneas, alguns arbustos esparsos e indivíduos arbóreos normalmente menos desenvolvidos de espécies de cerrado sentido restrito. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a estrutura fitossociológica do estrato herbáceo-subarbustivo, em diferentes períodos de amostragem, em uma área de campo sujo localizada na Fazenda Água Limpa, Brasília, DF (15º55'35,1"S e 47º54'20,9" W). Uma área de 400×400 m foi subdividida em quatro porções de 200×200 m onde foram sorteadas linhas de 40 m. No levantamento fitossociológico adotou-se o método de interseção na linha. Foram amostradas 163 espécies, incluídas em 78 gêneros e 39 famílias. A família mais importante foi Poaceae com 67,04% de cobertura. A similaridade de Sørensen entre as quatro linhas amostradas foi alta, entre 0,60 e 0,69, provavelmente devido à homogeneidade do solo da área. A similaridade entre os cinco períodos de inventário também foi alta, pois as espécies mais importantes variam pouco as suas taxas de cobertura ao longo do ano. No entanto, para o estrato herbáceo recomenda-se mais de uma amostragem por ano, para se registrar as espécies com baixa freqüência e cobertura e com ciclo de vida curto. Palavras-chave:Campo sujo, método de interseção na linha, similaridade, estrato herbáceo, fogo ABSTRACT -(Phytosociology of the herb-subshrub layer in an area of campo sujo, Distrito Federal, Brazil). Campo sujo consists of an herbaceous/sub-shrub layer dominated by grasses with some scattered shrubs of poorly developed cerrado sensu stricto species. We did a phytosociological survey of the herbaceous/sub-shrub layer of a campo sujo at the Água Limpa Farm, Brasília, DF (15º55'35,4''-15º56'4,1''S; 47º54'20,8''-47º54'21,9''W.) by sampling over time. We randomly set 40-meter transects inside a 400×400 m plot divided in four quadrats of 200×200 m. The line intercept method was adopted for sampling where each line was divided in 1 m sections. We found a total of 163 species belonging to 78 genera and 39 families. Poaceae was the most important family with 67.04% of cover. Sørensen's similarity indices were high (0.60 to 0.69) when comparing the transections, probably due to the uniform soil. The similarity between sampling periods was also high probably because there was little variation in cover rates for the main species over the year. However, sampling more than once a year seems to be necessary to register rarer, low-cover and ephemeral species.

RESUMO -(Fenologia do estrato herbáceo-subarbustivo de uma comunidade de campo sujo na Fazenda Água Limpa no Distrito Federal, Brasil). O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência das mudanças sazonais sobre a fenologia vegetativa (foliação) e reprodutiva (floração e frutificação) do componente herbáceo-subarbustivo de uma comunidade de campo sujo (15º55'478"S e 47º54'225"W) na Fazenda Água Limpa, Brasília, DF. O clima da região é do tipo Aw, segundo a classificação de Köppen, com precipitação média anual de 1.500 mm. Foram selecionados 3 a 10 indivíduos de 61 espécies distribuídas em 23 famílias, resultando em 519 indivíduos marcados. Os indivíduos foram observados quinzenalmente, de outubro/1999 a fevereiro/2001. O fogo ocorrido na área dois meses antes do início do estudo estimulou a floração e a frutificação das espécies amostradas. A floração na comunidade apresentou-se distribuída por todo o período estudado, com concentração na estação chuvosa. O período de produção de frutos foi similar ao de produção de flores e a maioria das espécies amadureceu seus diásporos do meio da estação chuvosa até o fim da seca. Na estação seca houve grande percentagem de espécies com folhas secas. No entanto, nem todas as espécies secaram completamente suas folhas nesse período, sendo que 3,2% produziram folhas novas e 31% mantiveram suas folhas verdes. Os eventos vegetativos e reprodutivos das plantas da camada herbáceo-subarbustiva mostraram-se dependentes da pluviosidade.Palavras-chave : fenologia, estrato herbáceo, campo sujo, cerrado, fogo ABSTRACT -(Phenology of the herbaceous layer in a campo sujo community in the Fazenda Água Limpa, Federal District, Brazil). The objective of this study was to analyse the phenological events in the herbaceous and sub-shrub layer of a campo sujo (15º55'478"S and 47º54'225"W) community in relation to rainfall. The climate is Aw by Köppen classification with a mean annual precipitation of 1,500 mm. Three to ten individuals belonging to 61 species were studied totaling 519 individuals. The individuals were observed quarterly, from October 1999 to February 2001. An accidental fire happened in the area two months before the beginning of this study. It stimulated flowering and fruiting of the species. Flowering occurred continuosly over the study period but, with a concentration in the rainy season. Fruiting presented a similar pattern with most species maturing their diaspores from the middle to the end of the rainy season. During the dry season there was a higher production of dry leaves. However, some species did not have all leaves completely dried in that period, 3.2% produced new leaves while 31% remained with mature green leaves. The vegetative and reproductive events of the plants in the herbaceous layer were dependent on the precipitation.

The objective of this study was to analyse the phenological events in the herbaceous and subshrub layer in relation to rainfall and the dispersion syndromes of the species at a Campo Sujo community in the Água Limpa Farm (FAL), Brasília-DF. Campo Sujo is a grassland Savannah with a few scattered shrubs and small trees. The climate is Aw by Köppen classification with a mean annual precipitation of 1500 mm. Herbaceus species with three to ten individuals were monitored totalling 519 individuals of 61 species. The individuals were observed quarterly from October 1999 to February 2001. An accidental fire happened in the area two months before the beginning of this study and stimulated flowering and fruiting of the studied species. Flowering at the community level was distributed all over the study period with a concentration of flowering species in the rainy season. The pattern of fruiting was similar to the flowering, with most species maturing their diaspore from the middle to the end of the rainy season. The correlation between anemochoric species producing mature fruits and precipitation was significant and inverse. Anemochoric and autochoric species are dominant at the herbaceous-subshrub layer of the Campo Sujo and they determine the phenological pattern of the community.Keywords: phenology, dispersion syndromes, anemochoric, herbaceous layer, Cerrado. Fenologia reprodutiva da camada herbácea e subarbustiva de savana (Campo Sujo) na Reserva da Biosfera do Cerrado I, BrasilResumo O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os eventos fenológicos na camada herbácea subarbustiva em relação à precipitação e às síndromes de dispersão das espécies em uma comunidade de Campo Sujo na Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Brasília-DF. O Campo Sujo é uma savana predominantemente herbácea com poucos arbustos e pequenas árvores. O clima da região é do tipo Aw, segundo a classificação de Köppen, com uma precipitação média anual de 1500 mm. Foram selecionadas as espécies que possuíam de 3 a 10 indivíduos, resultando em 61 espécies e 519 indivíduos amostrados. Os indivíduos foram observados quinzenalmente de outubro de 1999 a fevereiro de 2001. O fogo ocorrido na área dois meses antes do início do estudo estimulou a floração e a frutificação das espécies amostradas. A floração na comunidade apresentou-se distribuída por todo o período estudado com concentração de espécies florescendo na estação chuvosa. A produção de frutos foi similar, com a maioria das espécies amadurecendo seus diásporos do meio para o final da estação chuvosa. A correlação entre as espécies anemocóricas produzindo frutos maduros e a precipitação foi significativa e inversa. As espécies anemocóricas e autocóricas são dominantes na camada herbácea subarbustiva de Campo Sujo e determinam o padrão fenológico da comunidade.Palavras-chave: fenologia, síndromes de dispersão, anemocórico, camada herbácea, Cerrado.

Little is known on the floristic richness of the herb-subshrub layer of the moist grassland, a grassy field vegetation within the Cerrado biome, although herbs and subshrubs are the major components of the Cerrado flora. The objective of this work was to characterize the floristic richness of the herb-subshrub layer of a moist grassland, in 16 ha in Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Brasília, DF (15° 56' to 15° 59' S and 47° 55' to 47° 58' W) and to compare with it with other Savana-like vegetations in central and southeastern Brazil. Vouchers were collected at quarterly intervals, from September 1999 to February 2001 along transects established in order to cover most of the study-area. A total of 197 species in 105 genera and 41 families was recorded. A species of Syngonanthus (Eriocaulaceae), probably new to science was found. The richest families were Poaceae (39 species); Cyperaceae (24); Asteraceae (21); Polygalaceae (15); Eriocaulaceae (12); Xyridaceae and Melastomataceae (8); and Fabaceae (7). Similarities between this moist grassland and 12 other sites, measured with the Sorensen index, were low, varying from 3.3% to 37.4%. The low similarities between the compared sites may be related to the differences in soil water saturation or differences in the size of the area covered by grasslands in each site. The ordination analysis readily distinguished dry from humid sites and suggested that geographic distance between the sites can also affect floristic heterogeneity in the herbaceous-subshrub component.Keywords A riqueza florística do estrato herbáceo-arbustivo de campo limpo úmido, uma vegetação campestre do bioma Cerrado, é pouco conhecida, embora as ervas e subarbustos sejam o maior componente na vegetação de Cerrado. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar a riqueza florística da camada herbáceo-subarbustiva de um campo limpo úmido, com aproximadamente 16 ha, localizado na Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Brasília, DF (15° 56' a 15° 59' S e 47° 55' a 47° 58' W), além de comparar a sua flora herbáceo-arbustiva com a de outras áreas do bioma Cerrado no Brasil central e sudeste. Material botânico fértil foi coletado quinzenalmente, de setembro de 1999 a fevereiro de 2001, ao longo de trilhas distribuídas de modo a percorrer a maior extensão da área possível. Foram registradas 197 espécies, distribuídas em 105 gêneros e 41 famílias, tendo sido provavelmente descoberta uma nova espécie de Syngonanthus (Eriocaulaceae). As oito famílias com o maior número de espécie foram Poaceae (39 espécies); Cyperaceae (24); Asteraceae (21); Polygalaceae (15); Eriocaulaceae (12); Xyridaceae e Melastomataceae (8) e Fabaceae (7). A similaridade florística, medida com índice de Sørensen, entre o campo limpo úmido estudado e as outras 12 áreas de Cerrado foram baixas variando de 3,3% a 37,4%. As baixas similaridades entre as áreas comparadas podem estar relacionadas com as diferenças de saturação hídrica do solo ou diferenças no tamanho das áreas de Cerrado remanescentes. A ordenação separou claramente as áreas úmidas das áreas se...

Open savannas and wet grasslands are present under the same seasonal macro-climate in central Brazil. However, in open savannas, temperatures during fires are higher than in wet grasslands. Grasses dominate both ecosystems and exhibit large variation in seed dormancy. We hypothesise that seeds of grass species from open savannas are more tolerant to heating than those of wet grasslands. Also, assuming that dormant seeds remain longer in the soil than non-dormant seeds – thus being more likely to burn – we expect that dormant seeds are more tolerant to heating than non-dormant seeds. We tested the effects of heating at 80 and 110°C for 2.5 and 5.0 min on the survival of seeds of 14 species, seven from each community, containing dormant and non-dormant species. Seeds of most species survived at 80°C, but seeds from open savannas maintained greater survival for 5 min than seeds from wet grasslands. Seeds of most species died at 110°C, but dormant seeds survived more than non-dormant seeds. We conclude that species with seed dormancy experience selection for covarying characteristics that allow tolerance to heating in hotter fires. Our findings suggest that both seed dormancy and habitat-specific fire temperatures may contribute to the evolution of seed fire tolerance in Neotropical savannas.

The floristic composition of campo limpo úmido, a moist savanna grassland vegetation of the cerrado biome, is still little described, even though its herbs and subshrubs form a major component of the cerrado vegetation. The objective of this study was to characterize the floristic richness of the herbaceous and subshrub layer of a moist grassland at the Á gua Fria Farm, Alto Paraíso, Goiás State (14˚0498.830S, 47˚30933.10W). The principal use of such grasslands is to graze cattle; in addition, local people collect vast numbers of selected species of wild plants to sell for the decorative dried plant trade, or for their medicinal qualities. Little is known, however, about the sustainability of this extractivism. A survey of a 21 ha area, with intensive quarterly collections of herbarium specimens, was made from April 2000 to March 2001. Despite the small size of the study site it proved to be very rich floristically. A total of 207 species in 90 genera and 33 families was registered in the area. Thirty-one species not yet recorded in the checklist of the flora of the cerrado biome were found in this study, plus three that seem to be new to science. The richest families were Cyperaceae (30 species), Poaceae (28), Xyridaceae (23), Eriocaulaceae (20), Asteraceae (18), and Orchidaceae and Melastomataceae with 10 species each. These results suggest the need for more research on the moist grassland to provide overall estimates for the plant species richness of this widespread vegetation type and as a basis to help guide conservation and management policies.

Aims: The herb-shrub flora has been widely neglected in science and conservation policy throughout the world, so that this biodiversity component remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to elucidate the spatial patterns of species richness and phytogeographic regions of the Cerrado herb-shrub flora, and to estimate the percentage of areas with high species richness that is still covered by natural vegetation and is located in protected areas or priority areas for conservation. Location: Central Brazil and surrounding territories.Methods: To estimate the pattern of species richness we produced species distribution models (SDMs) for 5362 species using botanical records combined with 17 least correlated environmental variables. All SDMs were tested against a biascorrected null model and the 5039 significant SDMs were stacked to generate the pattern of botanical richness. The resulting presence-absence matrix was subjected to a partitioning around medoids (PAM) cluster analysis to delineate phytogeographic regions.Results: The pattern of species richness indicated that highest levels of richness are in the central-south and west parts of the Cerrado. The study recognized two floristically distinct clusters at the core of the Cerrado region, and seven additional regions that share floristic elements with the two core clusters. Many areas with high levels of modelled species richness are located outside protected and priority areas for conservation. Conclusions:We recognized patterns of regional variation, reflected in the phytogeographic division. Furthermore, we show that the current protected areas in Brazil do not effectively protect high richness areas of the herb-shrub flora.