Machado et al. 2016 (Article) Brazil

Bromeliaceae from caparaó national park, Minas Gerais/Espírito Santo States, Brazil, with notes on distribution and conservation

Author(s):—T.M. Machado, R.C. Forzza & J.R. Stehmann

Publication:—Oecologia Australis 20(2): 133-146. (2016) — DOI

Abstract:—High altitude grasslands occur at higher elevations of the Atlantic Forest and are rich in species and endemism. Bromeliaceae is one of the most diverse plant families of the Atlantic Forest, however its oristics and distribution is poorly investigated in this type of vegetation. In this study, we carry out an inventory of the family for the Caparaó National Park, an important protected area of southeastern Brazil, due to its high species richness and endemism, where a representative area of high altitude grassland is found. We also provide data on the species distribution in different habitats and at different elevations, species frequency and also implications for conservation. We recorded 12 genera and 46 species of Bromeliaceae, three of them new occurrences for Espírito Santo state: Aechmea lilaci- nantha, Neoregelia brownii, and Vriesea paraibica. Species richness of bromeliads was higher in the riparian forest and lower in the high altitude grassland. The highest richness was found between 900-1,300m where riparian forest is found. Only 9% of the species were considered common, whereas 32% were rare. Our results highlight the im- portance of associated habitats with high altitude grassland for the conservation of biological diversity, especially for rare species of bromeliads.

Keywords:—Atlantic ForestK diversityK Neotropical mountain.