Floristics and ecological succession of the arboreal vegetation in the spring area of an Atlantic forest fragment, Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

This paper aims to characterize the floristic composition of the arboreal stratum in a spring area and to classify the species into their respective ecological groups. The study was developed in the surrounding of the spring of Córrego do Campo, located in Engenho Buranhém, belonging to Usina Trapiche S/A, in Sirinhaém, PE, Brazil. The floristic survey was carried out between September 2008 and November 2009. For its development, 10 plots with 10x25m placed in radius in the target area and distributed in a systematic form in 5 lines (2 plots per line), separated by an angle of 45°, were used. Regarding the ecological groups, the species were classified as pioneers, initial secondary, late secondary and without characterization. 309 individuals, belonging to 27 botanical families, 46 genders and 58 species were sampled. From these species, six were identified only at gender level, three at family level and one was not identified. In relation to the successional classification, the species in the beginning of the succession showed a larger number of individuals, presenting characteristics of a forest in an initial state in the successional development. The diameter distribution follows a negative exponential function with greater
individuals frequency in smaller diameter classes, demonstrating characteristics of a initial regeneration state.