Ferns and lycophytes of remnants in Amazônia Maranhense, Brazil

Abstract

This work is an inventory of ferns and lycophytes of remnants in Amazônia Maranhense. The data provided are the results of collections made from 2010-2011 and 2016-2019 in various municipalities of Maranhão in the Amazonian part of the state. Sixty-four species of ferns and lycophytes, in 36 genera and 18 families, were recorded. Of these, 24 species are new records for Maranhão and four are new records for the Northeast Region of Brazil. The most representative family was Pteridaceae (23 species), followed by Polypodiaceae (7 species). The predominant life forms were terrestrial (37 species) and epiphytic (15 species); the latter is the highest number of epiphytic species recorded for a fern and lycophyte inventory in Maranhão. The data support the need for collecting ferns and lycophytes in Amazônia Maranhense to better understand the flora of these groups in the state.

Ferns and lycophytes in Chapada das Mesas National Park and surroundings, Maranhão State, Brazil

“…This can be explained by the wide distribution of the family in tropical regions and arid regions (Smith et al 2006), and due to in Brazil the family is most diverse in Southeast (141 spp) and Northeast (104 spp) regions (Prado et al 2020). Other studies in Cerrado (e.g., Fernandes et al 2007, Silva et al 2017 and Amazonia (e.g., Silva Junior et al 2020) in Maranhão State also recorded more diversity for this family. In PNCM, 10 of the 14 Pteridaceae species recorded prefer a rocky substrate (Table 1).…”

“…and one (A. petiolatum Desv.) is a new record for the Brazilian Cerrado (Prado et al 2020, Silva Junior et al 2020.…”

“…The second most recorded habit was terrestrial (15 species). A high number of terrestrial species is common in most studies about ferns in Maranhão State, for example, Bastos & Cutrim (1999), Fernandes et al (2007), Fernandes et al (2010), Conceição & Ruggieri (2010), Conceição & Rodrigues (2010), Conceição et al (2015), Silva et al (2017), andSilva Junior et al (2020).…”

“…In addition to the Cerrado domain, Maranhão contains other phytogeographic domains (i.e., a portion of Amazonia and a small part of the Caatinga) and extensive transition areas between them, resulting in high biodiversity in the state. However, the biodiversity in Maranhão, especially lycophytes and ferns, could be underestimated because not many areas have been sampled and studied (Table 1) (e.g., Bastos & Cutrim 1999, Azevedo & Silva 2001, Fernandes et al 2007, Conceição & Ruggieri 2010, Conceição & Rodrigues 2010, Conceição et al 2015, Santos-Silva 2016, Silva et al 2017, Santos-Silva et al 2018, Silva-Júnior et al 2018, Santos-Silva et al 2019a, b, c, Barbieri et al 2020, Silva-Junior et al 2020. According to Samambaias e Licófitas in Flora do Brasil (2020), only 97 species of ferns and lycophytes have been recorded in Maranhão.…”

“…However, based on a compilation of data published in floristic inventories about the state (mentioned above), there are 24 families and 130 species (Supplementary file 1). Among the studies cited above, most sampling was conducted in the Amazon domain (64 species) (e.g., Silva Junior et al 2020), which includes an important federal protected area called the Gurupi Biological Reserve (Reserva Biológica do Gurupi) (Table 1). In Maranhão State, 12.5% of the Cerrado is within PAs, of which 5.7% is completely protected under the category National Park (Parque Nacional) and 6.8% is sustainably used and mainly environmental protection areas (Áreas de Proteção Ambiental) (Spinelli-Araújo et al 2016).…”