Vegetation structure and edaphic factors in veredas reflect different conservation status in these threatened areas

Sexual and reproductive systems of woody species in vereda are distributed according to the life form and habitat occurrence

“…These species tend to adapt better to environments under stressful conditions, such as changes in the water table and anthropogenic interference, being capable to colonise different environments and remain in altered areas, as they do not depend on pollinating agents (Perini et al 2019). Veredas in the region are undergoing changes in the landscape due to the water table lowering, causing the expansion of species from drier areas of the Cerrado, interfering with the floristic composition and providing the colonisation of the environment by species that tend to better tolerate these conditions (Nunes et al 2022). In a landscape modification scenario, individual hermaphrodite's Fig.…”

“…Thus, the herbaceous/shrub component predominates in open areas and more humid soil, and the tree component occurs in hygrophilous forest to the water table expansion zone, in soil that is usually permanently saturated (Ara ujo et al 2002;Oliveira et al 2009;Nunes et al 2015). Despite the complexity of the habitats, in these ecosystems the species richness is lower than that found in other Cerrado phytophysiognomies, probably due to edaphic conditions and other biotic factors (Bijos et al 2017;Nunes et al 2022).…”

“…In the interior area, the veredas present a hygrophilous forest area, composed of all the vegetation strata, but mainly by tree species, many of them from riparian forest and Cerrado (Nunes et al 2015;Avila et al 2016Avila et al , 2021. The veredas in this region are in the process of drought, with loss of springs (Nunes et al 2022) and its landscape shows various anthropic activities, such as raising domestic animals, farming, grazing, harvesting wood and burning ( Avila et al 2021). However, it is still possible to observe the presence of water above soil from the groundwater in some locals, and the vegetation presents a typical structure of hygrophilous environments, with the presence of two main zones (open areas and hygrophilous forest).…”

“…Thus, veredas are considered as hygrophilous communities, marked by the presence of the Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (buriti) palm tree emerging in the wetter and humid zones (Ara ujo et al 2002;Oliveira et al 2009;Avila et al 2016). Veredas communities occupy hydromorphic soils, gleys and organic turfs (Gleysols and Histosols) and are associated with relatively shallow water tables (Bijos et al 2017;Nunes et al 2022). They arise from wet patches in the soil that are determined by variations in the topography and alternation of layers of soil with distinct levels of permeability (Oliveira et al 2009;Bijos et al 2017).…”

“…Veredas are losing their vegetation originality, with evidence of several types of degradation, such as the presence of cattle, soil drainage, fires, deforestation, drought and changes in the water table caused by climate change that modify their conditions and compromise the structure and composition of their vegetation (Meirelles et al 2004;Avila et al 2016;Nunes et al 2022). In this ecosystem, less humid and open areas are more exposed to recent anthropogenic changes and their species are the most susceptible to environmental changes (Ara ujo et al 2002;Oliveira et al 2009), which may present changes in relation to their reproductive aspects.…”