The vascular flora and vegetation of Queimada Grande Island, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Studies of the vegetation on islands off the coast of southeastern Brazil are still very scarce, despite their importance for assessing, managing, and conserving insular biodiversity. We present here a list of the vascular flora of Queimada Grande Island (QGI; 24°29′10″ S, 46°40′30″ W, 57 ha, 33.2 km from the coast) in southeastern Brazil and describe its phytophysiognomies. The island is covered mainly by Atlantic Forest (Dense Ombrophilous Forest), as well as with rock outcrop and anthropogenic vegetation with herbaceous-shrub phytophysiognomies. QGI showed relatively low species richness (S = 125) when compared to other Brazilian coastal islands. Herbaceous (52) and climbing species (31) predominated on QGI. The richest families were Fabaceae (11 species), Poaceae (9), and Apocynaceae, Asteraceae and Orchidaceae (8 species each). Most species (S = 112) are autochthonous from different phytophysiognomies of the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest complex. Many species associated with anthropically disturbed areas (S = 26) can be found on QGI, including the invasive grass Melinis minutiflora. There was a slight predominance of zoochory (S = 50). We did not identify any species endemic to QGI. One of its species (Cattleya intermedia, Orchidaceae) is vulnerable at both national and regional levels, and another (Barrosoa apiculata, Asteraceae) is presumably extinct on the mainland in São Paulo State. The vascular flora of QGI originated from the mainland Atlantic Forest complex, following the pattern of other coastal islands in southeastern Brazil. The flora and vegetation of QGI reflect the combination of insular conditions, the small size of the island, habitat restriction, steep topography, incipient soils, and the past use of the area with the introduction of several foreign species. We recommend permanent monitoring of the vegetation cover of QGI and its management, in order to ensure the conservation of the local native biota. Keywords: Atlantic Forest; biodiversity conservation; coastal islands; dispersal syndromes; invasive species; protected areas. Flora vascular e vegetação da Ilha Queimada Grande, São Paulo, sudeste do BrasilResumo: Estudos sobre a vegetação de ilhas costeiras no sudeste do Brasil ainda são muito escassos, apesar de sua importância para a avaliação, manejo e conservação da biodiversidade insular. Nós apresentamos aqui uma lista da flora vascular da Ilha Queimada Grande (IQG; 24°29′10″ S, 46°40′30″ W, 57 ha, 33,2 km da costa), sudeste do Brasil, e descrevemos suas fitofisionomias. A ilha é recoberta principalmente por Floresta Atlântica (Floresta Ombrófila Densa), bem como por vegetação sobre afloramento rochoso e vegetação antrópica com fisionomias herbáceo-arbustivas. A IQG apresentou riqueza relativamente baixa (S = 125) comparada a de outras ilhas costeiras do Brasil. Espécies herbáceas (52) e trepadeiras (31) predominaram na IQG. As famílias mais ricas foram Fabaceae (11 espécies), Poaceae (9), Apocynaceae, Asteraceae e Orchidaceae (8 espécies cada). A maioria das espéc...

Area and distance from mainland affect in different ways richness and phylogenetic diversity of snakes in Atlantic Forest coastal islands

“…The climate is considered tropical by Peel, Finlayson, and McMahon (). These islands conserve dense ombrophilous forest and herbaceous shrub phytophysiognomies, as well as “restinga” vegetation (Cicchi, Serafim, Sena, Centeno, & Jim, ; Kurtz et al, ; Rocha, Bergallo, Conde, Bittencourt, & Santos, ).…”

Integrating remote sensing and phytosociology of the Atlantic Forest to map a small continental island in southeastern Brazil: subsidies to protect the habitat of critically endangered species

“…There are also areas covered by anthropogenic vegetation, including a small banana plantation. Recent surveys indicated the presence of 125 terrestrial vascular plant species, including some alien species (Kurtz et al 2017), in a mosaic pattern resulting from past anthropogenic use of the area. The Brazilian Navy built a lighthouse on QGI in 1909, and lighthouse keepers lived there until 1925.…”

“…3A in Martins et al 2008) indicates a slight recovery of the Atlantic Forest in some previously degraded sections of QGI, although this process appears to be very slow. The anthropogenic vegetation is formed, however, by many grasses and other species associated with disturbed areas (Kurtz et al 2017), and is more fire-prone than the original vegetation on QGI (see Bataus & Reis 2011). Its persistence is a risk because it increases the probability of occurrence of major fires in the island, thereby threatening the endemic species.…”

“…The islands of Alcatrazes (180 ha; 35 km from the coast), Vitória (220 ha; 25 km), and Franceses (16 ha; 3.6 km) are very similar to QGI in many aspects. All four islands are included in the Atlantic Forest complex (Scarano 2002) and their floras show strong continental influences as a result of recurring contacts during the Quaternary period (e.g., Ferreira et al 2007;Kurtz et al 2017). Although they have experienced different historical uses, all of them currently display similar land cover, i.e., native vegetation mosaics (Atlantic Forest, shrub, and rock outcrop vegetation) and anthropogenic formations (Pompéia et al 1994;Ferreira et al 2007;Sartorello 2010;Fundação Florestal 2015;ICMBio 2017).…”

“…While this forest type is still prevalent in QGI, part of its original cover has been replaced by anthropogenic vegetation. There is no phytosociological information available concerning the local Atlantic Forest, which indicates that our knowledge of the vegetation of this island is still incomplete (Martins et al 2008;Bataus & Reis 2011;Kurtz et al 2017), and needs to be extended.…”