Florística e fitossociologia dos campos do Quiriri, SC/PR, Brasil

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Fungos, Algas e Plantas, Florianópolis, 2016.Os campos da Mata Atlântica são formações de vegetação aberta encontradas em ambientes montanhosos do Sul do Brasil. A serra do Quiriri, localizada a nordeste de Santa Catarina e sudeste do Paraná possui em sua parte alta uma destas manchas de campos. Adicionalmente, é uma das menos estudadas, contando apenas com trabalhos pontuais e antigos registros na Flora Ilustrada Catarinense. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um aprofundado estudo florístico e o primeiro estudo fitossociológico nesta mancha de campos. Dados florísticos e fitossociológicos foram recolhidos em campo durante novembro de 2014, adicionalmente, foram revisadas as coleções de espécies provenientes dos campos do Quiriri nos herbários FLOR, FURB e MBM, além de registros na literatura. Foi realizada análises de similaridade com outras áreas campestres do Sul do Brasil. Foram também realizados os cálculos dos parâmetros fitossociólogicos em 81 parcelas de 1 m² para os campos do Quiriri. A análise florística revelou 660 espécies, em 94 famílias, com Asteraceae e Poaceae representando 35% da riqueza. De acordo com as listagens oficiais, foram encontradas 32 espécies ameaçadas, além de 49 espécies cujo limite austral é a serra do Quiriri, 15 endêmicas dos Campos de Cima da Serra e 10 espécies endêmicas de Santa Catarina. A análise de similaridade revelou 12,96% de similaridade com os campos dos Padres, o que é considerada baixa. A fitissociologia revelou grande predomínio de espécies incomuns para os Campos do sul do Brasil, como Paspalum filifolium, Axonopus marginatus e Elionurus muticus, além de demonstrar uma baixa diversidade de espécie cobrindo amplas áreas, entremeadas por espécies mais raras. Os dados levantados com o presente estudo serão de grande valia para embasar futuros estudos nesta área, além de servirem de parâmetro para comparação com outras áreas semelhantes e de utilidade para programas de conservação.Abstract : The Atlantic forest grasslands are open vegetation formations found in mountainous regions in southern Brazil. The ?Serra do Quiriri?, located in northeast Santa Catarina and southeastern Paraná has grasslands patches in its higher elevations. Additionally, it is one of the least studied, with occasional works and old records in Flora Illustrated Santa Catarina. The aim of this study was to conduct an extensive floristic and the first phytossociologic study in this locality. Floristic and phytosociological field data were collected during November 2014, in addition, the collections from Quiriri in herbaria FLOR, FURB and MBM and records in the literature have been revised. Similarity analyzes comparing with other Southern Brazil grasslands was conducted. They were also made the calculations of phytosociological parameters in 81 plots of 1m². Floristic richness was 660 species, placed in 94 families, Poaceae and Asteraceae represent 35% of total richness. According to oficial lists, there are 32 threatened species, additionally, 49 species have its southernmost occurence in Quiriri. Ten species are endemic to Santa Catarina state and 15 are endemic to ?Campos de Cima da Serra?. The similarity analysis shown 12,96% of similarity with ?Campos dos Padres?, considered low. Phytosociology revealed high prevalence of unusual species for the fields of southern Brazil, as Paspalum filifolium, Axonopus marginatus and Elionurus muticus, and demonstrate a low diversity of species covering large areas, interspersed with rare species. The data collected in this study will be of great value to support future studies in this area, besides serving as a parameter for comparison with other similar areas and utility conservation programs

Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí (southern Brazil) shrub and herbs flora

This paper aim to characterize the herbaceous and shrub species diversity of Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí (PNSI). We identified 643 herbaceous and shrub species distributed in 110 families being the most representative family Asteraceae (62 species), Melastomataceae (49) and Rubiaceae (30), besides a two new records for Santa Catarina (Thelypteris glaziovii T.F. Reed and Pseudelephantopus spiralis Cronquist). We recorded 22 exotic species. Thus, due to the vast diversity of life and the rather large territory, PNSI is one of the most important spots for biodiversity conservation in Santa Catarina

First records of Melilotus albus Medik. (Fabaceae, Faboideae) in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

Melilotus albus Medik. is a cosmopolite and invasive species, native to the Old World, which in Brazil had its occurrence hitherto recorded only in the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. This study extends its distribution to Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, due to the recent discovery of populations in the municipalities of Florianópolis and Xanxerê. These new records are ca. 250 km distant from the nearest records, in Paraná state, also in southern Brazil

Assessing specialized metabolite diversity in the cosmopolitan plant genus Euphorbia l.

Coevolutionary theory suggests that an arms race between plants and herbivores yields increased plant specialized metabolite diversity and the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution predicts that coevolutionary interactions vary across geographic scales. Consequently, plant specialized metabolite diversity is expected to be highest in coevolutionary hotspots, geographic regions, which exhibit strong reciprocal selection on the interacting species. Despite being well-established theoretical frameworks, technical limitations have precluded rigorous hypothesis testing. Here we aim at understanding how geographic separation over evolutionary time may have impacted chemical differentiation in the cosmopolitan plant genus Euphorbia. We use a combination of state-of-the-art computational mass spectral metabolomics tools together with cell-based high-throughput immunomodulatory testing. Our results show significant differences in specialized metabolite diversity across geographically separated phylogenetic clades. Chemical structural diversity of the highly toxic Euphorbia diterpenoids is significantly reduced in species native to the Americas, compared to Afro-Eurasia. The localization of these compounds to young stems and roots suggest a possible ecological relevance in herbivory defense. This is further supported by reduced immunomodulatory activity in the American subclade as well as herbivore distribution patterns. We conclude that computational mass spectrometric metabolomics coupled with relevant ecological data provide a strong tool for exploring plant specialized metabolite diversity in a chemo-evolutionary framework