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Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 69(2): 743-754, April-June 2021 (Published Jun. 21, 2021)

Phytosociology, successional level, and conservation

of the woody component in a “restinga” of Maranhão island, Brazil

Flávia Cristina Vieira Serra

Eduardo Bezerra Almeida Jr.

1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís,

Maranhão, Brazil; flavia_biologia@hotmail.com

2. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil; ebaj25@yahoo.com.br

(Correspondence*)

Received 11-VI-2020. Corrected 08-IV-2021. Accepted 11-VI-2021.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The “restingas” (coast vegetation) can serve as a species corridor in ecotonal environments due

to the particulars regarding the composition of the flora. The studies covering the entire length of the Maranhão

state coast are necessary to understand the diversity and distribution of plant species present in the “restingas”.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the structure and conservation of the woody vegeta-

tion of a “restinga” in Maranhão. Methods: Phytosociological sampling of woody vegetation was carried out

using the quadrants method, followed by classification of species by successional group; in addition to analyzing

the diametric and hypsometric data of the populations whose species presented the highest importance value

(IV). Results: In total, 24 species and 16 families were identified, 72 % of which were classified in the initial

stages of succession. The values of H’ and J’ were 2.637 nat.ind

-1

and 0.830, respectively. The mean height

and diameter were 2.1 m and 27.66 cm, respectively. The species Coccoloba ramosissima Wedd., Byrsonima

crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Anacardium occidentale L., Manilkara triflora (Allemão) Monach, and Astrocaryum

vulgare Mart. presented the highest IVs. Conclusions: It was observed that characteristics such as size, power

of regrowth, and ease of regeneration processes could be useful for choosing target species for recovery actions

in coastal areas.

Key words: phytosociology; diametric structure; vertical distribution; Maranhão state; environmental

restoration.

Vieira Serra, F.C., & Bezerra Almeida, E. Jr. (2021).

Phytosociology, successional level, and conservation of

the woody component in a “restinga” of Maranhão island,

Brazil. Revista de Biología Tropical, 69(2), 743-754.

https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v69i2.42265

The restinga has a high environmental rel-

evance in view of the vegetal and physiognom-

ic mosaic, its conservation is essential due to

the intense threat caused by anthropic actions

(Dias & Soares, 2008). In the Northeast region

of Brazil, despite the increase in research for

this ecosystem, as in States of the Bahia: Mene-

zes, Santana, Silva, Silva and Araújo (2012),

Santos, Zickel and Almeida Jr. (2015); Pernam-

buco: Almeida Jr., Santos-Filho, Araújo and

Zickel (2011), Cantarelli, Almeida Jr., Santos-

Filho and Zickel (2012a); Alagoas: Medeiros,

Santos-Filho, Almeida Jr., Pimentel and Zickel

(2010); Rio Grande do Norte: Almeida Jr.

and Zickel (2012), Medeiros, Almeida Jr.,

Abreu, Santos-Filho and Zickel (2014); Piauí:

Santos-Filho, Almeida Jr. and Zickel (2013a);

Paraíba: Vicente, Almeida Jr., Santos-Filho

and Zickel (2014); Sergipe: Santana, Rocha,

Oliveira, Prata and Ribeiro (2020) - the existing

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knowledge about wealth and diversity still

does not correspond to the coastal territorial

extension of the region. What makes broader

analysis impossible due to the particulari-

ties in various aspects of its biodiversity and

conservation status.

Considering, in particular the Maranhão

coastline, the knowledge about restinga vegeta-

tion is still restricted to a few floristic studies

(Cabral-Freire & Monteiro, 1993; Serra, Lima,

& Almeida Jr., 2016; Silva, Araujo, & Almeida

Jr., 2016a; Amorim, Amorim, & Almeida Jr.,

2016a; Lima & Almeida Jr., 2018) and phyto-

sociological records (Araujo, Silva, & Almeida

Jr., 2016; Amorim, Santos-Filho, & Almeida

Jr., 2016b; Machado & Almeida Jr., 2019;

Almeida Jr., Correia, & Santos-Filho, 2020).

These studies represent only a small part of the

coast in Maranhão, which is in turn in a large

transition area between vegetation in the Ama-

zon and Cerrado domain (Silva et al., 2016b).

Knowing that restingas can serve as a spe-

cies corridor in ecotonal environments, studies

covering the entire length of the Maranhão

coast are necessary to understand the diversity

and distribution of plant species present in the

restingas (Castro, Moro, & Menezes, 2012;

Serra, Lima, & Almeida Jr., 2016).

One of the ways to obtain information

about plant species for conservation is related

to knowledge of the structure of the plant

community (Nadkarni, Mcintosh, & Cushing,

2008). Thus, height and diameter measure-

ments could provide data on the plant com-

munity or be used for the analysis of one or

more species of interest in the succession

processes. The existence of different strata in

the plant community enables greater diver-

sity of micro-habitats, which can increase the

diversity of species and ecological interactions

(Souza, Souza, Gama, & Leite, 2003). There-

fore, vertical stratification could contribute as

an indicator of environmental sustainability

of a forest, influencing wealth, diversity, and

biomass production (Souza et al., 2003) among

other factors.

Therefore, evaluation of conditions regard-

ing the dynamics of the forest can generate

subsidies for future forest management actions

based on indications about the populations

in the development of the plant community

(Siminski, Mantovani, dos Reis & Fantini,

2004). Considering the need for data related

to the structure of the woody vegetation of

the restingas in Maranhão (Serra et al., 2016;

Machado & Almeida Jr., 2019; Almeida Jr. et

al., 2020), the current study aims to character-

ize the structure of woody vegetation, analyze

the diametric and hypsometric distribution of

species of greatest ecological importance, and

indicate the level of succession to support

future research on recovery and or management

of coastal areas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study area: The collections were carried

out in a restinga in the Eastern part of Maranhão

Island (02º38’47.85’’ S & 44º09’05.76’’ W), on

the Sítio Aguahy. The area is owned by Com-

panhia Farmacêutica Quercegen Agronegócios

I Ltda., in the municipality of São José de Rib-

amar, Maranhão state (Fig. 1).

The Sítio Aguahy has an area of 400 ha

consisting of a transition between fragments

of regenerating Amazon forest, mangrove, and

restinga (Serra et al., 2016; Marinho, Muniz,

& Azevedo, 2018). The fragment denominated

restinga occupies an area of approximately 50

ha, consisting of vegetation from herbaceous

to arboreal stratum, presenting physiognomies

of floodable fields, non-floodable shrubby,

and non-floodable forest (Serra et al., 2016)

(Fig. 2). The climate of the region, according

to the classification of Köppen (1948), is of the

Aw type, having two distinct seasons: a rainy

season that extends from January to June and

a dry season that begins in July and extends

until December. The average rainfall index of

Maranhão Island is approximately 2 000 mm/

year and the average temperatures through-

out the year vary between 25.5 and 28.6 °C

(INMET, 2016).

Vegetation sampling: Phytosociological

sampling was carried out in 2015 and followed

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the quadrants method (Cottam & Curtis, 1956).

In each quadrant, the individual closest to the

central point that meets the inclusion criteria of

the sample is marked and identified. Then its

distance from the central point of the quadrant

is recorded (Durigan, 2003). Five transections

were plotted on area, arranged in parallel, each

measuring 100 m. Ten points were allocated

to each transection, with a distance of 10 m

between each point, totaling 50 points. Indi-

viduals woody with a diameter at ground height

(DGH) ≥ 3 cm were measured. In the case of

tillered individuals (plants that had branches at

the base of the stem) all the trunks were mea-

sured and the sum of the perimeters of each

tiller was used to represent the final value of

the plant diameter.

This sample size has been considered

satisfactory for restinga areas, achieving

sample sufficiency through stability in the

species saturation curve (Zickel et al., 2015).

In addition, this sampling method follows the

studies carried out for the woody strata of

the Northeast region (Medeiros et al., 2010;

Almeida Jr. & Zickel, 2012; Santos-Filho et

al., 2013a; Medeiros et al., 2014; Machado &

Almeida Jr., 2019).

For the analysis of the community organi-

zation, relative density (RD), relative frequen-

cy (RF), basal area (BA), relative dominance

(RDO), importance value (IV), Shannon diver-

sity index (H’), Pielou equability index (J’),

and total wealth (S) were calculated using the

FITOPAC 2.0 package (Shepherd, 2009).

For the analysis of the diametric distribu-

tion, a histogram was elaborated with the num-

ber of individuals per class of diameter (10 cm

interval), representing the plant community. To

Fig. 1. Location of Ilha do Maranhão, where the restinga of Sítio Aguahy is located, municipality of São José de Ribamar,

Maranhão state. Source D. Muniz.

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characterize the occupation of vertical space,

a histogram was created with the number of

individuals per class of height (1 m intervals).

Collection and identification of botani-

cal material: The plants were collected and

processed according to the usual methodology

(Peixoto & Maia, 2013). Next, the material

was identified through comparison with her-

barium material and using specialized literature

(Melo, 1996; Rosário, Secco, Amaral, Santos,

& Bastos, 2005; Margalho, Rocha, & Secco,

Fig. 2. General aspect of restinga vegetation of Sítio Aguahy is located, municipality of São José de Ribamar, Maranhão

state. A. and B. Physiognomies non-floodable shrubby, C. physiognomies non-floodable forest, D. and E. stretch with

herbaceous vegetation in physiognomies non-floodable shrubby. Source E.B. Almeida Jr.

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2009; Alexandrino, Sousa, & Bastos, 2011;

Menezes, Taylor, Machado, Coelho, & Correia,

2011; Lima & Almeida Jr., 2020; among oth-

ers). After identification, the exsiccatae were

incorporated into the collection of the Her-

bário MAR, Dep. Of Biology, of the Federal

University of Maranhão (UFMA). The list of

families followed the APG IV (2016) classifi-

cation system. Confirmation of the spelling of

species and names of authors was carried out

by consulting the sites Flora do Brasil (http://

floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/) and Tropicos (http://

www. tropicos.org/). The classification of spe-

cies by successional group was carried out

through specialized literature according to the

criterion suggested by Gandolfi, Leitão and

Bezerra (1995).

RESULTS

In total, 24 species were sampled, distrib-

uted in 16 families (Table 1). The families with

the highest specific wealth were Asteraceae and

Rubiaceae (with three species each), and Mal-

pighiaceae, Ochnaceae, and Sapotaceae (with

two species each), corresponding to 60 % of the

total species sampled (Table 1).

Of the 24 species sampled, the major-

ity (18) were classified as early pioneer and

secondary, corresponding to 75 % of the total

species. Species characterized as “unclassi-

fied” were those that remained indeterminate or

identified down to the gender level. These data

allow us to infer that the studied community is

in an initial succession stage (Table 1).

The species Coccoloba ramosissima

Wedd., Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Ana-

cardium occidentale L., Manilkara trifloral

(Allemão) Monach., and Astrocaryum vulgare

Mart. presented the highest importance values

(IV) and the highest number of individuals

(Table 1). The total basal area was 1 943 m

-1

, the value found for the Shannon diver-

sity index (H’) was 2.637 nat.ind

-1

, and for the

Pielou equability index (J’) was 0.830.

The mean diameter of the species found

was 27.66 cm and the maximum 44 cm. The

largest number of individuals (82.5 %) was

registered in the first diameter class, cor-

responding to the intervals from 3 to 13 cm

(Fig. 3A). The five species with the greatest

IVs were Coccoloba ramosissima, Byrsonima

crassifolia, Anacardium occidentale, Manilka-

ra triflora, and Astrocaryum vulgare with a

predominance of young individuals belonging

to the first diametric classes.

The mean height found in the shrub-tree

component was 2.1 m and the maximum was

6 m. The majority of individuals (97.5 %)

were registered between the second and fourth

height classes, corresponding to intervals of 1

to 4 m (Fig. 3B). With respect to the species

with the highest IVs, there was a predominance

of individuals in the range of 1 to 2 m, con-

firming, together with the diameter, the greater

number of young individuals.

Coccoloba ramosissima presented 71.4

% of the individuals in the first classes of

diameter (3-18 cm) (Fig. 4A). This species was

predominant in the first height class, corre-

sponding to the interval between 1 to 2 m (Fig.

4B). Byrsonima crassifolia presented 97 % of

individuals in the first two diameter classes

(Fig. 4A) and 68.75 % of individuals between

the first and second height classes (Fig. 4A).

Anacardium occidentale stood out in the

first and second diameter classes (3-13 cm),

with a gap in the third diameter class (13-18

cm) (Fig. 4A), whereas the hypsometric distri-

bution (Fig. 4B) did not present any disconti-

nuities. The gap observed may be related to the

presence of branches and not to the absence of

trees of a certain age. This observation is nec-

essary since the branches are added to give the

value of the final diameter of the plant, which

contributes to increasing the value related to

the caliber of the plant.

The vertical structure was shown to be

discontinuous for Manilkara triflora, demon-

strating regularity in the diametric distribution

(Fig. 4A) and presenting gaps in the registra-

tion of individuals in the range of 2.5 to 3.5

m (Fig. 4B). The species Astrocaryum vulgare

presented a diametric (Fig. 4A) and hypso-

metric (Fig. 4B) distribution with many young

individuals and few adult individuals.

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TABLE 1. Phytosociological parameters of restinga species sampled in Sitio Aguahy, São José de Ribamar, Maranhão state, Brazil

Species Families ES N RDe RF RDo IV Origin Voucher MAR

Coccoloba ramosissima Wedd.

Polygonaceae P 34 17.00 8.11 42.26 22.45 native MAR 4128

Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth

Malpighiaceae IS 38 19.00 8.11 12.38 13.16 native MAR 4062

Anacardium occidentale L.

Anacardiaceae P 15 7.50 5.41 12.92 8.61 native MAR 4073

Manilkara triflora (Allemão) Monach

Sapotaceae IS 20 10.00 6.76 5.43 7.39 native MAR 4245

Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.

Arecaceae P 8 4.00 5.41 10.00 6.47 native MAR 4257

Tocoyena sellowiana (Cham. & Schltdl.) K.Schum.

Rubiaceae P 14 7.00 6.76 2.12 5.29 native MAR 11656

Indet. 2 Indeterminada - 9 4.50 6.76 1.78 4.34 un un

Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H.Rob.

Asteraceae P 11 5.50 5.41 0.83 3.91 native MAR 4078

Guettarda angelica Mart. ex Müll. Arg.

Rubiaceae IS 8 4.00 6.76 0.94 3.89 native MAR 11657

Cordiera myrciifolia (K.Schum.) C.H.Perss. & Delprete

Rubiaceae LS 7 3.50 5.41 2.20 3.7 native MAR 11658

Manilkara bidentata (A.DC.) A.Chev.

Sapotaceae LS 6 3.00 5.41 1.29 3.23 native MAR 4248

Tilesia baccata (L.f.) Pruski

Asteraceae P 6 3.00 4.05 1.88 2.97 naturalized MAR 11659

Indet. 1 Indeterminada - 5 2.50 5.41 0.45 2.78 un un

Ouratea fieldingiana Engl.

Ochnaceae IS 5 2.50 4.05 1.00 2.52 native MAR 4136

Mouriri guianensis Aubl.

Melastomataceae IS 3 1.50 2.70 1.24 1.81 native MAR 11660

Cereus jamacaru DC.

Cactaceae P 2 1.00 2.70 0.18 1.29 native MAR 6644

Chrysobalanus icaco L.

Chrysobalanaceae P 2 1.00 1.35 0.56 0.97 native MAR 4125

Dulacia guianensis (Engl.) Kuntze

Olacaceae P 1 0.50 1.35 0.90 0.91 native MAR 11661

Myrcia sp.

Myrtaceae P 1 0.50 1.35 0.65 0.83 un MAR 11662

Solanum sp. 1

Solanaceae IS 1 0.50 1.35 0.62 0.82 un MAR 11663

Schoepfia brasiliensis A.DC.

Schoepfiaceae LS 1 0.50 1.35 0.15 0.66 native MAR 11664

Asteraceae sp. 1 Asteraceae - 1 0.50 1.35 0.13 0.66 un un

Solanum sp. 2

Solanaceae IS 1 0.50 1.35 0.04 0.63 un MAR 11665

Ouratea hexasperma (A.St.-Hil.) Baill.

Ochnaceae IS 1 0.50 1.35 0.04 0.63 native MAR 11666

SS = Succession Stage (where P = Pioneer, IS = Initial Secondary, LS = Late Secondary); N = number of individuals sampled, RDe = relative density, RF = relative frequency (%),

DoR = relative dominance (%), VI = importance value (%); un = unclassified. Species ordered by IV.

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Fig. 3. A. Distribution of individuals by diameter classes (interval of 10 cm), and B. Distribution of the number of individuals

by height class (interval of 1 m) of the species of the restinga of Sitio Aguahy, São José de Ribamar, Maranhão state, Brazil.

Fig. 4. A. Distribution of individuals by diameter classes (interval of 5 cm); and B. Distribution of individuals by height class

(interval of 50 cm), for species of greater IV of the restinga of Sitio Aguahy, São José de Ribamar, Maranhão state, Brazil.

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DISCUSSION

The restinga in the present study showed

values of diversity and equability (H’ of 2.637

nat.ind

-1

and J’ of 0.830) close to the values

recorded in the restingas of the Northern coast,

such as Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão (Castro et

al., 2012; Santos-Filho et al., 2013a; Machado

& Almeida Jr., 2019; Almeida Jr. et al., 2020).

This fact may indicate that the species present

more heterogeneous distribution due to the

environmental peculiarities of each restinga,

such as nutrient availability, acidity content,

physical-chemical composition of the soil, and

periodic flooding (Santos-Filho et al., 2013a).

Based on floristic data, Serra et al., (2016)

highlighted the similarity between the restinga

of the present study with the restingas of Pará,

suggesting that Amazonian species contribute

to the colonization of the Eastern coast of

Maranhão, thus being able to direct new studies

to expand knowledge on the areas of Amazo-

nian vegetation in Maranhão.

The species found in the present study are

widely distributed throughout the Brazilian

territory, being found in different ecosystems,

and not characterized as endemic to restinga

areas (BFG, 2015). Despite this, restinga areas

require attention due to their fragility faced

with human actions, as deforestation and the

consequent removal of superficial layers of soil

interfere in the successional process of these

areas, leading to possible losses in the diver-

sity of species and ecological interactions. This

demonstrates the need for conservation actions

in the areas, since the restinga can serve as an

ecological corridor for ecotonal areas (Castro et

al., 2012; Serra et al., 2016).

The high number of individuals in the

first diameter class together with the high den-

sity of species belonging to initial successional

groups indicate that this area is in the process

of regeneration, as had already been reported

by Serra et al., (2016).

The horizontal distribution of study area

had higher mean diameters in relation to other

areas of restinga of the Northeast coast (San-

tos-Filho et al., 2013a; Machado & Almeida

Jr., 2019; Almeida Jr. et al., 2020). This fact

may be related to the significant number of

branches, as observed in individuals of Ana-

cardium occidentale, which naturally have

many branches in restinga areas (Almeida Jr.

Et al., 2011; Machado & Almeida Jr., 2019;

Almeida Jr., Correia, & Santos-Filho, 2020).

The branches of Coccoloba ramosissima may

be associated with the regrowth ability and

could be considered an important mechanism

in the processes of recolonization in degraded

areas. This may play an important role in for-

est restoration during the initial successional

stages, since as climatic species are established,

this process becomes rarer in the plant commu-

nity (Mariano, Junior, Silva, & Amorim, 2007;

Chazdon, 2008).

The development of branches in species

in restingas contributes positively to the estab-

lishment and growth of these plants (Sá, 2002).

In this way, the diametric values, consider-

ing the sum of the branches, generate a large

caliber, allowing these species to occupy more

space, and so to compete and stand out in the

woody stratum.

As for the size of the vegetation, it can

be considered that in the restinga of the pres-

ent study there was a greater predominance of

shrubs and trees of low height, similar to the

plants of restingas on the coast of the Piauí

state (Santos-Filho et al., 2013a). The composi-

tion woody community from restinga of Curu-

pu (Machado & Almeida Jr., 2019) and from

restinga of Alcântara (Almeida Jr. et al., 2020)

in Maranhão state, and the restinga of Pecém,

in Ceará state (Castro et al., 2012), it was taller,

with a variation of 4 to 4.4 m in the average

height of the individuals, in relation to the

vegetation of the present study. This difference

is probably due to the different physiognomies

of restingas (Santos-Filho, Almeida Jr., Soares,

& Zickel, 2010) and by the diversity of species

in each area. Furthermore, the area under study

presents ecotonal vegetation, consisting mainly

for species of the Amazonic biome and Cerrado

biome (Serra et al., 2016; Machado & Almeida

Jr., 2019; Almeida Jr. et al., 2020), reinforc-

ing the particularity regarding the structure

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of the woody vegetation of the restingas in

Maranhão state.

Byrsonima crassifolia, registered along

the restinga areas of the Northeast (Castro

et al., 2012), is highlighted in the area by

the expressive number of individuals. This

species is important in the ecological rela-

tions of this restinga, such as for the pollina-

tion and construction of nests of pollinators

(Mendes & Rêgo, 2007).

Zickel et al. (2015) pointed out that Ana-

cardium occidentale occurs in several restinga

areas on the Northeast coast (Sacramento, Zick-

el, & Almeida Jr., 2007; Cantarelli, Almeida Jr.,

Santos-Filho, & Zickel, 2012b; Santos-Filho et

al., 2013a), with the presence of branches being

common. However, the predominance of this

species in some restingas may be associated

with the degree of degradation of the area or the

economic interest, due to the commercial value

of the fruits (the cashew) (Zickel et al., 2015).

With respect to the diametric and hypso-

metric distribution of Manilkara triflora, the

presence of individuals that developed hori-

zontally through branches, but did not grow

vertically was noticed. This behavior can be

explained by the characteristics of the soil,

which can hinder the growth of the plant in

stature (Passioura, 2002), or by the stressful

conditions of the area, such as high soil salinity,

in addition to the shallow soil, which tend to

favor strategies such as growth and reproduc-

tion of the individual through branches (Sá,

2002; Fonseca, Ribeiro, & Carvalho, 2013).

This species, together with Manilkara biden-

tata, found in the study area, are Amazonian

species and of economic interest. Although

these species are not listed as endangered as

a result of their wide distribution, they require

attention due to the loss of habitat and exploi-

tation for the use of wood in Maranhão, which

could lead to a change in the conservation

status of these species in a short time, which

may compromise the community and structural

arrangement of woody vegetation, especially in

coastal areas which are the first to experience

suppressed vegetation (Almeida Jr., Santos

Filho, & Zickel, 2012).

The gap observed in the height and diam-

eter classes of Astrocaryum vulgare may sug-

gest that a factor is hindering the establishment

of adult individuals in the area or that a distur-

bance may have prevented the development of

individuals. This species also stands out as it

is an arborescent palm, capable of establishing

quickly in disturbed environments with lots

of light (Santos-Filho, Almeida Jr., & Soares,

2013b). In addition to being important in the

processes of regeneration and ecological suc-

cession, this species has the ability to recruit

and rapidly modify the environment (Santos-

Filho et al., 2013b).

It is known that lists on floras and plant

structures can be consulted to choose the

species to be used in recovery actions (Fer-

reira et al., 2013). In habitats subjected to

extreme environmental pressures, such as rest-

inga areas, the most abundant species seem to

provide adequate environmental conditions for

the germination and growth of other species

(Scarano, 2002).

The present study highlighted that regard-

ing the succession level the vegetation pre-

sented characteristics of being in an initial

stage, with respect to factors such as size and

regrowth power. This could be important in

regeneration processes, such as in recovery

actions in other coastal areas or similar envi-

ronmental conditions. The study also made it

possible to highlight the use of species with

the highest IV for maintenance and recovery

in relation to species diversity and ecological

interactions found in restingas. Finally, it is

worth noting that “restinga” areas are among

the most impacted ecosystems in Brazil, mean-

ing studies on the conservation status of these

environments are of great importance.

Declaración de ética: el autor declara que

está de acuerdo con esta publicación; que no

existe conflicto de interés de ningún tipo; y que

ha cumplido con todos los requisitos y proced-

imientos éticos y legales pertinentes. Todas las

fuentes de financiamiento se detallan plena y

claramente en la sección de agradecimientos.

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Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 69(2): 743-754, April-June 2021 (Published Jun. 21, 2021)

El respectivo documento legal firmado se

encuentra en los archivos de la revista.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Foundation for the Support

of Research and Scientific and Technological

Development of Maranhão (FAPEMA) for

the financing of the project “Ilha do Maran-

hão: Estrutura, Diversidade e Distribuição da

Vegetação de Restinga” (Nº 00663/14), and for

the first author’s scholarship. The Coordina-

tion for the Improvement of Higher Education

Personnel - CAPES (finance code 001) by the

granting the scholarship to the first author. The

Pharmaceutical Company Quercegen Agrone-

gocios I Ltda. for access to the area where the

study was developed. David. B. Muniz for the

elaboration of the map; to Kaue Dias, Gabriela

Amorim, Aryana Vasquez, and Monielle Alen-

car for their immense and important support

during the sampling of vegetation.

RESUMEN

Fitosociología, nivel sucesional y conservación

del componente leñoso de una “restinga”

en isla Maranhão, Brasil

Introducción: Las “restingas” pueden servir como

corredor de especies en ambientes ecotonales debido a los

aspectos de la composición de la flora. Los estudios a lo

largo de la costa del estado de Maranhão son necesarios

para comprender la diversidad y distribución de las espe-

cies de plantas presentes en las “restingas”. Objetivo: El

objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la estructura y

conservación de la vegetación leñosa de una “restinga” en

Maranhão. Métodos: Se realizó un muestreo fitosociológi-

co de la vegetación leñosa utilizando cuadrantes, seguido

de la clasificación de especies por grupo sucesional; ade-

más de analizar los datos diamétricos e hipsométricos de

las poblaciones cuyas especies presentaron el de mayor

valor importancia (VI). Resultados: En total, se identifi-

caron 24 especies y 16 familias, 72 % de los cuales fueron

clasificados en las etapas iniciales de sucesión. Los valores

de H’ y J’ fueron 2.637 nat.ind

-1

y 0.830, respectivamente.

La altura y el diámetro medios fueron de 2.1 my 27.66

cm, respectivamente. Las especies Coccoloba ramosissima

Wedd., Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Anacardium

occidentale L., Manilkara triflora (Allemão) Monach,

y Astrocaryum vulgare Mart. presentaron los valores de

mayor importancia (VI). Conclusiones: se observó que

características como el tamaño, capacidad de rebrote y la

facilidad de los procesos de regeneración podrían ser útiles

para elegir las especies objetivo para las acciones de recu-

peración en las zonas costeras.

Palabras clave: fitosociología; estructura diamétrica;

distribución vertical; estado de Maranhão; restauración

ambiental.

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