Floristic and structural aspects of Brazilian Savanna phytophysiognomies in the northern Goiás state, Brazil

Abstract

The Legado Verdes do Cerrado Sustainable Development Reserve is home to the largest private contiguous area of native vegetation in the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) biome, but its flora is still little studied. A floristic and phytosociological study was carried out in four phytophysiognomies of the Reserve (cerrado sensu stricto, cerradão, dry forest and ciliary forest). Eighty 10 x 10-m plots were systematically installed, with 20 in each phytophysiognomy. All live woody individuals with diameter at breast height ≥ 5 cm and height greater than 130 cm were measured. A total of 933 live individuals were sampled, with an estimated density of 1,166 ind ha-1, belonging to 154 species and 46 families. Diversity and equability were assessed at 4.47 nats ind-1 and 0.88, respectively. The diametric distribution of the individuals showed a negative exponential (reverse J), while the one for height classes showed a tendency towards normal distribution. Species richness and structural parameters were within the values found for native vegetation, except for the cerrado sensu stricto.