Structure and spatial distribution patterns of Caatinga vegetation in Seridó Ecological Station, RN, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Santana, José Augusto da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Santana Júnior, José Augusto Silva, Barreto, Wanctuy da Silva, Ferreira, Anderson Targino da Silva
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://pfb.cnpf.embrapa.br/pfb/index.php/pfb/article/view/1002
• topic: Phytosociology; Floristic composition; Payandeh index; Fitossociologia; Composição florística; Índice de Payandeh

In this work we describe the structure of arboreal and shrubby vegetation in Seridó Ecological Station, municipality of Serra Negra do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. We sampled and identified all individuals present in 30 plots of 200 m2 area with diameter at ground level ≥ 3 cm and total height ≥ 1 m,. Spatial distribution pattern was determined by Payandeh index. We registered 2,448 individuals, distributed in 22 species, 20 genera and 12 families. Density was 4,080 individuals ha-1 and basal area 17.50 m2 ha-1, while average height and diameter reached 2.45 m and 6.80 cm, respectively. The families with larger number of species were Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae, giving emphasis in number of individuals of Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae and Apocynaceae. Poincianella pyramidalis, Aspidosperma pyrifolium and Croton blanchetianus were the most important species of the population accounting together for the greater number of individuals, basal area and importance value. The studied area shows little evidence of human disturbance, with structure similar to other protected areas in Seridó Caatinga and higher proportion of species with aggregated distribution or with a tendency to aggregation, revealing that the largest populations form small groups.