http://www.faculty.umb.edu/anamarija.frankic/eeos476/Class%20Materials/Habitats/GLOBAL%20Seagrass%20distribution.pdf

Global seagrass distribution and diversity: A bioregional model

Botanists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists are familiar with the astonishing species richness and endemism of the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region and the ancient and unique flora of the kwongkan of south-western Australia. These regions represent old climatically-buffered infertile landscapes (OCBILs) that are the basis of a general hypothesis to explain their richness and endemism. However, few ecologists are familiar with the campo rupestre of central and eastern Brazil, an extremely old mountaintop ecosystem that is both a museum of ancient lineages and a cradle of continuing diversification of endemic lineages. Diversification of some lineages of campo rupestre pre-dates diversification of lowland cerrado, suggesting it may be the most ancient open vegetation in eastern South America. This vegetation comprises more than 5000 plant species, nearly 15 % of Brazil’s plant diversity, in an area corresponding to 0.78 % of its surface. Reviewing empirical data, we scrutinise five predictions of the OCBIL theory, and show that campo rupestre is fully comparable to and remarkably convergent with both fynbos and kwongkan, and fulfills the criteria for a classic OCBIL. The increasing threats to campo rupestre are compromising ecosystem services and we argue for the implementation of more effective conservation and restoration strategies.

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Ecology and evolution of plant diversity in the endangered campo rupestre: a neglected conservation priority

This paper reviews recent progress in the study and understanding of extreme seasonal events in the Amazon region, focusing on drought and floods. The review includes a history of droughts and floods in the past, in the present and some discussions on future extremes in the context of climate change and its impacts on the Amazon region. Several extreme hydrological events, some of them characterized as ‘once in a century’, have been reported in the Amazon region during the last decade. While abundant rainfall in various sectors of the basin has determined extreme floods along the river's main stem in 1953, 1989, 1999, 2009, 2012–2015, deficient rainfall in 1912, 1926, 1963, 1980, 1983, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2005 and 2010 has caused anomalously low river levels, and an increase in the risk and number of fires in the region, with consequences for humans. This is consistent with changes in the variability of the hydrometeorology of the basin and suggests that extreme hydrological events have been more frequent in the last two decades. Some of these intense/reduced rainfalls and subsequent floods/droughts were associated (but not exclusively) with La Nina/El Nino events. In addition, moisture transport anomalies from the tropical Atlantic into Amazonia, and from northern to southern Amazonia alter the water cycle in the region year-to-year. We also assess the impacts of such extremes on natural and human systems in the region, considering ecological, economic and societal impacts in urban and rural areas, particularly during the recent decades. In the context of the future climate change, studies show a large range of uncertainty, but suggest that drought might intensify through the 21st century.

Extreme seasonal droughts and floods in Amazonia: causes, trends and impacts

Mountain areas are recognized centres of endemism and diversity on account of their isolation and altitudinal diversity. In tropical regions, mountain tops usually stand as islands of xeric vegetation among mesophytic assemblages. Unlike the vegetation growing on other rock outcrops lithologies, such as inselbergs (granite/gneiss) or campos rupestres (quartz/arenite), ironstone outcrop plant communities still lack systematic studies in Brazil. These outcrops (locally known as canga) share most of the characteristics of other rock outcrops, such as isolation and edapho-climatic harshness, but differ in that they are the object of opencast mining, and thus subjected to irrecoverable degradation. In addition, they are expected to harbour metal-tolerant and hyperaccumulator plant species. A botanical survey of two ironstone outcrop locations in the most important mining region of southeastern Brazil, the Iron Quadrangle, revealed a high within-site (138 and 160 species per site), and between-site diversity (only 27% of common species), totaling 64 families and 234 species among basal families and eudicots (154 species), monocots (68 species), and ferns (12 species). Canga crusts are rich in dicots, several of which play an important role in community structuring, together with the more usual monocot aggregations. Distinct plant communities are found associated to different microhabitats within the iron crust, depending primarily on the amount of soil and moisture retention in the different microtopographies. The environmental uniqueness, high diversity, lack of studies and rapid destruction of these ecosystems pose an immediate challenge for their conservation.

Plant communities on ironstone outcrops: a diverse and endangered Brazilian ecosystem

Summary

Aim The campos de altitude are a series of cool-humid, grass-dominated formations restricted to the highest summits of the southeastern Brazilian Highlands. Relatively little is known of the ecology, biogeography, or developmental history of this archipelago of mountaintop formations. This contribution presents an overview of our present state of knowledge with respect to the past and present physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude. The aim is (1) to introduce an international audience to the natural history of these diminutive yet important ecosystems, and (2) to provide the background for a series of forthcoming contributions that will treat the ecology of the campos de altitude and explore physical and biotic relationships between these ‘Brazilian paramos’ and similar formations in the high mountains of equatorial South and Central America.



Location Beginning at altitudes of 1800–2000 m, the campos de altitude are found atop the highest summits of the main ranges of the southeastern Brazilian Highlands, between the states of Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais/Espirito Santo.



Methods Drawing upon both original data and previously published results, this contribution reviews what we presently know about the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude, in the context of geographic setting, geology, palaeoclimatology and palaeobotany, modern climate, modern vegetation, and conservation.



Results and main conclusions Uplift of the southeastern Brazilian ranges to altitudes high enough to support orographic grasslands may have occurred as early as the middle- to late-Tertiary; pollen records show that campos de altitude have been extant on southeastern summits at least since the Late Pleistocene. The present-day climate of the campos de altitude is cool and (per)humid, but patterns of rainfall, temperature, and frost are distinctly seasonal. Although the flora of the campos de altitude is highly diverse and characterized by a high degree of endemism, the campos de altitude maintain strong floristic similarities to equatorial alpine formations of the Andean and Central American Cordillera; these similarities also extend to climate, soils, and vegetation physiognomy. Anthropogenic fires and grazing are widespread in the campos de altitude and probably contribute significantly to the modern structure of vegetation communities.

Brazilian Páramos. I. An introduction to the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude

A Serra do Cipo esta situada na porcao sul da Cadeia do Espinhaco, e a area tratada neste trabalho situa-se nos limites do Municipio de Santana do Riacho, MG, entre os paralelos 19o12-19o20'S e longitude 43o30-43o40'W. Apresenta-se sob forma de um conjunto de elevacoes em torno de 1200 m. As estruturas rochosas dobradas sao de natureza quartzitica, entremeadas por alguns afloramentos de calcario. O clima da regiao e do tipo Cwb de Koppen com separacao nitida em estacao seca e chuvosa. O tipo de solo reflete a natureza do embasamento rochoso, sendo predominantemente raso e arenoso. A cobertura vegetal varia com a altitude e estagio de decomposicao ou deposicao do substrato, sendo encontradas matas ciliares ao longo das linhas de drenagem, capoes de mata, manchas de cerrado e, acima de 1000 m, predomina a vegetacao campestre (campos rupestres) e rupicola. Os estudos floristicos na area foram iniciados em 1972 e ate o presente foram encontradas 125 familias de Fanerogamas, das quais 100 de Dicotiledoneas, 24 de Monocotiledoneas, 1 de Gimnospermas, e ainda 10 de Pteridofitas e 11 de Briofitas, num total de cerca de 1600 especies listadas.

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Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais: Caracterização e Lista das Espécies

Sao apresentados neste trabalho, os padroes de distribuicao geografica dos generos de Eriocaulaceae, com enfase nos generos americanos. A divisao generica da familia especialmente na regiao neotropical ainda nao e definitiva, porem existem alguns padroes de distribuicao que podem ser detectados. Os nove generos americanos, incluem-se em quatro padroes gerais de distribuicao: amplamente distribuidos nos tropicos; amplamente distribuido na Africa e America do Sul; limitado a America do Norte; limitado a America do Sul.

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Padrões de distribuição geográfica dos gêneros de Eriocaulaceae

The present work is a study of "everlasting flowers" as a natural product of importance for interior decoration. The term "everlasting flowers" is used for scapes and inflorescences which, even after being detached from the plant, still maintain the appearance of living structures. The economic activities related to this group of plants are considered; their importance is demonstrated, as a source of income and employment in the region of Diamantina (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil), and also as a source of revenue for the country: production is largely exported to Europe and the U.S.A. A survey was made of the quantity of such flowers marketed, of prices paid to collectors, and of the wholesale prices of the species most extensively commercialized in the region (18 Eriocaulaceae, 10 Gramineae, 3 Xyridaceae and 2 Cyperaceae); from these figures were calculated the values involved in production and commercialization, thus providing some idea of the income created and the quantity of plants concerned. The importance of exportation of everlasting flowers as a source of revenue was also considered. Analysis of data permits inference of a decline in export; this may be due to a fall in production as a result of over-collection and subsequent difficulty in recuperation of populations, or of market competition from other countries. It is suggested that research should be increased with a view to making viable the systematic cultivation of those species which can be cultivated, as an important contribution to the economy of regions of campo rupestre

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abb/v1n2s1/v1n2s1a18.pdf

Estudos em sempre-vivas: importância econômica do extrativismo em Minas Gerais, Brasil

The Brazilian seagrasses

Resumo Nas cangas da Floresta Nacional (FLONA) de Carajas e no Parque Nacional dos Campos Ferruginosos (PNCF) foram registradas 856 especies, distribuidas em 116 familias de fanerogamas. As familias mais ricas foram Poaceae (86), Fabaceae (65) e Rubiaceae (46). O habito herbaceo foi o melhor representado. Dois generos, 24 especies e uma subespecie sao apontadas como endemicas das cangas da area de estudos. Na FLONA de Carajas, a Serra Norte, com maior amostragem, possui 659 especies de fanerogamas e na Serra Sul foram registradas 545 especies. Aproximadamente 60% das especies documentadas na area de estudos, incluindo especies endemicas, nao possuem registro para o PNCF. Atraves da lista taxonomica aqui apresentada, foi possivel demonstrar consideravel distincao entre as cangas da Serra dos Carajas e as do Quadrilatero Ferrifero, em Minas Gerais, apontando tambem pouca correspondencia dessas duas listas com a canga de Corumba, no Mato Grosso do Sul. A riqueza e singularidade da flora da regiao, que inclui diversas especies endemicas, associada a ameaca a que estao submetidos estes ambientes por atividades de mineracao, apontam para a necessidade de um planejamento para conservacao das especies da flora das cangas de Carajas.

/pdf/cangas-da-amazonia-a-vegetacao-unica-de-carajas-evidenciada-1rjywzvm4z.pdf

Ana Maria Giulietti

Papers

Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais: Caracterização e Lista das Espécies

Padrões de distribuição geográfica dos gêneros de Eriocaulaceae

Estudos em sempre-vivas: importância econômica do extrativismo em Minas Gerais, Brasil

The Brazilian seagrasses

Cangas da Amazônia: a vegetação única de Carajás evidenciada pela lista de fanerógamas