Inundation and fire can affect the structure of riparian vegetation in wetlands. Our aim was to verify if there are differences in richness, abundance, basal area, composition and topographic preference of woody species in riparian forests related to the fire history, flooding duration, or the interaction between both. The study was conducted in the riparian forests of the Paraguay River some of which were burned three times between 2001 and 2011. We sampled trees with a girth of at least 5 cm at breast height in 150 5 × 10 m plots (79 burned and 71 unburned). We also measured height of the flood mark and estimated the flooding duration of each plot. We performed Generalized Linear Mixed Models to verify differences in richness, basal area, and abundance of individuals associated to interaction of fire and inundation. We used an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and indicator species analysis to identify differences in composition of species and the association with burned and unburned area according to different levels of inundation. Finally, we used a hierarchical set of Generalized Linear Models (GLM), the so-called HOF models, to analyse each species’ specific response to inundation based on topography and to determine their preferred optimal topographic position for both burned as well as unburned areas. Richness was positively associated with elevation only in burned areas while abundance was negatively influenced by inundation only in burned areas. Basal area was negatively associated with time of inundation independent of fire history. There were 15 species which were significant indicators for at least one combination of the studied factors. We found nine species in burned areas and 15 in unburned areas, with response curves in HOF models along the inundation gradient. From these, five species shifted their optimal position along the inundation gradient in burned areas. The interaction of fire and inundation did not appear to affect the basal area, but it did affect the richness, number of individuals, success of some species, and seemed to shape the boundary of these forests as shown by the difference in the positioning of these species along the inundation gradient.

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In this contribution the rediscovery of the bromeliad Dyckia excelsa in Mato Grosso do Sul state, central-western Brazil, is reported. This species was first described based on a single individual from a particular collection in 1993 with no precise locality. Illustrations and a brief discussion on the leaf anatomy of the species are provided. One additional species, Dyckia gracilis, which has been overlooked by previous authors, is included in the list of Bromeliaceae of Mato Grosso do Sul State. An updated key for Dyckia species from the region of D. excelsa is presented. The status of D. excelsa in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, is discussed, and recommendations for its conservation are offered.

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Resumo O presente estudo teve por finalidade estudar as espécies da família Lauraceae no município de Corumbá-MS, baseado principalmente em coleções botânicas depositadas em herbários. Foram também realizadas coletas em várias regiões do município, principalmente na morraria Santa Cruz. São registradas para o município 10 espécies subordinadas a cinco gêneros, a saber: Aiouea trinervis, Aniba heringerii, Cassytha filiformis, Nectandra amazonum, N. cissiflora, N. gardneri, N. hihua, N. psammophila, Ocotea diospyrifolia e O. velloziana. Aniba heringerii é citada pela primeira vez para o Mato Grosso do Sul. Chaves para a identificação, descrições e ilustrações das espécies são apresentadas.

RESUMO-O presente trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar o cenário atual das coleções botânicas de Mato Grosso do Sul, buscando contribuir para o direcionamento de ações visando uma melhor documentação da fl ora do estado. Informações sobre o número de exsicatas depositadas nos herbários de Mato Grosso do Sul foram obtidas através de consulta direta aos seus respectivos curadores ou adquirido no banco de dados do Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental (CRIA). Foram encontrados 150.360 exemplares coletados no Mato Grosso do Sul e um índice de 0,41 coletas/km² para o estado. Para que o Mato Grosso do Sul alcance apenas a média nacional de coletas seriam necessários aproximadamente 210.000 exemplares, cerca de 60.000 a mais do que já foi coletado. Torna-se imprescindível que sejam defi nidas estratégias, diretrizes e metas visando o fortalecimento e à modernização das coleções biológicas, bem como o conhecimento da fl ora sul-mato-grossense.

Climatic factors can influence the establishment and growth of wood species, but little is known about the effect of these factors on monodominant communities in wetlands. Therefore, we asked how climatic factors, such as ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation), precipitation and flooding, influence growth and establishment of the dominant species Erythrina fusca in the Pantanal. We determined the age of sampled individuals, the age of the population and evaluated the effects of climate on tree growth. We obtained samples for dendrochronological analyses using destructive (seven individuals) and non-destructive methods. We cross-dated and built a chronology, correlating results with climatic factors. We sampled 0.6 ha of the population and separated individuals into diameter classes to determine age based on diameter/age ratio obtained through dendrochronological analyses. We obtained a chronology with individuals up to 34 years old, while in the population sample, the oldest individual was 54 years old. The factors that influenced growth during the study period were precipitation (positive correlation) and El Niño (negative correlation). E. fusca individuals seem to grow more during the period of highest precipitation, and El Niño events reduce precipitation in the Pantanal, resulting in a decrease in the growth of E. fusca individuals. We detected a decrease of young individuals in the last nine years, which seems to be related to the decrease in minimum flood levels. This indicates a future decline in the number of individuals. These results allow us to propose measures to protect these monodominant formations, which mainly involve avoiding further anthropic activities, that could reduce flooding levels.

We report the occurrence of several remnant stands of Trithrinax schizophylla Drude in Porto Murtinho municipality, southwestern Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Until recently, the species was considered as probably extinct in the country. Trithrinax schizophylla is found only in the Chaco provinces of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia, with a narrow strip in the southwestern region of Mato Grosso do Sul. The region is one of the most modified inside the Pantanal wetland in Brazil, and conservation actions are in need to protect this and other species in the region.