Funk et al. 2007 (Article) Guianas

Checklist of the Plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana)

Author(s):—V. Funk, T. Hollowell, P. Berry, C. Kelloff & S.N. Alexander

Publication:—Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 55: 1-584. (2007)

Abstract:—This volume contains a checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield Area (northeastern South America) produced using information gathered from historical and recent collections as well as many recent expeditions. The Guiana Shield, as treated here, includes the countries of Guyana and Surinam, French Guiana (a part of France) and the Venezuelan states of Amazonas, Bolivar, and Delta Amacuro. The checklist contains 257 vascular plant families with 13,367 species. According to the list 6,791 of those species are from Amazonas, 6,669 from Bolívar, 1,651 from Delta Amacuro, 7,112 from Guyana, 4,984 from Surinam, and 5,406 are from French Guiana. Of these species, 293 (2.2%) are estimated to be introduced and naturalized and even fewer are invasive. The small number of naturalized species is a good indication of the large amount of intact vegetation from this area of South America. The largest family is the Leguminoseae with 146 genera containing 1032 species; 41 families are represented by only one species. Over 250 scientists from around the world participated in this project by identifying specimens and checking species lists. This volume should be of use to students, taxonomists, ecologists, and conservation biologists, as well as to interested amateurs.

Keywords:—South America, biodiversity, endemic species, invasive species