Bryophytes in Amazon savannas: richness and composition in disjunct areas in the Eastern Amazon

Abstract

The Brazilian Amazon forests are interspersed by savanna ecosystems distributed in the states of Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima, presenting different distribution patterns. The objective of this work was to evaluate the richness, composition and fl oristic similarity of the bryophyte fl ora from fi ve disjunct savanna areas in the eastern Amazon and compare the richness with those of other savannas in Brazil. The collections were carried out from 2017 to 2018 in fi ve localities of the eastern Amazon. Twenty-two species of mosses and 22 species of liverworts were registered. The composition was expected for savanna ecosystems with 27 species of generalists and 16 sun specialists. There was a striking fl oristic difference between the areas, and the clusters showed that the eastern Amazon savannas are formed by different compositions related to their area. This study made it possible to discover one new record for the state of Pará, fi ve new records for the state of Amapá and one new record for the North region.