Floristic composition in areas of Caatinga and Brejo de altitude in Sergipe state, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the vegetation of the Serra da Guia, Sergipe state, Brazil, through the floristic survey of two areas, one located at the base (Caatinga - 09°58'09"S, 37°51'52"W) and the other at the top of the mountain (Brejo de Altitude - 09°58'55"S, 37°52'06"W), with systematic monthly collections from October 2009 to September 2010. We sampled 416 species (88 families): 238 species (60 families) in the area of Caatinga and 284 species (76 families) in the Brejo. In the Caatinga, families with higher species richness were Fabaceae (32) and Euphorbiaceae (17), while in the Brejo, these were Fabaceae (25) and Poaceae (19). The Serra da Guia is the first Brejo de Altitude described and studied in the Sergipe state, and analysis of the floristic composition of plant communities in the Caatinga and the Brejo has shown that these formations have very different characteristics and high biodiversity. © 2012 Check List and Authors.