Floristics of the herbaceous-shrub vegetation in the restinga of Araoca Beach, municipality of Guimarães, Maranhão, Northeast Brazil

• Published in: Biota Neotropica Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: Penha, José da Conceição Aguiar, Alves, Neuriane Pinheiro Ferreira, Nunes, Mayara Silva, Silva, Maycon Jordan Costa da, Cardoso Neto, Vitor Rafael, Pestana, Mateus César Araújo, Ferreira, Alessandro Wagner Coelho, Saraiva, Raysa Valéria Carvalho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Campinas Instituto Virtual da Biodiversidade 2025; Instituto Virtual da Biodiversidade | BIOTA - FAPESP
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Arecaceae; Asteraceae; Beaches; Biodiversity; BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; Coasts; Composition; Cyperaceae; Ecosystems; Endangered & extinct species; Environmental impact; Environmental protection; Fabaceae; Flora; Flowers & plants; Forests; Garbage; Genera; Human influences; Lianas; Multiship expeditions; Municipalities; Pavonia; Plant diversity; Plant reproduction; Plant species; Plants; Plants (botany); Pollination; Rainy season; Rubiaceae; Seed dispersal; Shrubs; Species composition; Species extinction; Species richness; Vegetation; Wet season; Wildlife conservation; Brazil; impactos ambientais; Reentrâncias Maranhenses; Conservation; physiognomy; Conservação; environmental impacts; similaridade florística; fisionomias; floristic similarity
• ISSN: 1676-0611; 1806-129X; 1676-0611; 1676-0603
• DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2024-1663

The Environmental Protection Area of Reentráncias Maranhenses is located on the northern coast of the state of Maranhão, covering 16 municipalities and great floristic diversity. However, this biodiversity is threatened by the reduction and even extinction of species aggravated by anthropogenic action. The objectives of this study were (i) to analyze the floristic composition of the herbaceous and shrubby vegetation in the restinga ecosystem of Araoca Beach, located in the municipality of Guimaraes; (ii) classify habits; (iii) to analyze pollination and seed dispersal syndromes; (iv) to categorize the physiognomies present and (v) to identify environmental impacts. Field expeditions were carried out between July 2022 to October 2023 (during the dry and rainy seasons) and plant species were recorded using the walking method. In total, 122 herbaceous and shrub species belonging to 95 genera and 50 families were cataloged. The families with the highest species richness were Fabaceae (24), Cyperaceae (10), Rubiaceae (6), and Asteraceae (5), corresponding to 37.2% of the total species collected. Herbaceous species (59), shrubs (29), sub-shrubs (21), lianas and vines (12) accounted for 48.4%, 23.8%, 17.2%, and 9.8% of the species, respectively. The survey also recorded a single species of palm (Arecaceae), corresponding to 0.8% of the species collected. As for pollination, 100 species were categorized exclusively as zoophilic and 15 as anemophilic. Concerning seed dispersal, anemochory accounted for 7.4% of the individuals (9); exclusive zoochory was present in 33.6% of the species (41); and exclusive autochory in 70 species (57.4% of the samples). Only Pavonia cancellata (L.) Cav. showed two types of dispersal (zoochory and autochory). The following physiognomies were described: unflooded open field, flooded open field-halophytic, unflooded closed shrubby vegetation, flooded closed shrubby vegetation, and flooded open shrubby vegetation. Araoca's plant diversity indicates a similarity to other restingas in Maranháo. The considerable amount of garbage left in the vicinity of the dunes, formation of trails, and cattle grazing areas alter the dynamics and compromise the balance of this ecosystem. Considering this scenario, the restinga of Araoca Beach is subject to loss of floristic composition, making it necessary to develop studies aimed at maintaining its diversity.