Brian M. Boom

Southern Bahian moist forests

The moist forests of southern Bahia, although occupying less than 10% of the original cover, represent one of the last strongholds of lowland forest in eastern Brazil. Friedrich Sellow (1815) and K. F. P. von Martius (1818) were the first botanists to make significant collections in the region, a tradition which has been intensified by the efforts of the staff of the herbarium of the “Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau” (CEPEC) from 1965 to the present. The climate is hot and humid with 1200–1800 mm of rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. These conditions are ideal for the cultivation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), the principal crop of the region. The native forests are related structurally and in taxonomic composition to those of Amazonia and possess a high degree of endemism. Buttresses (17% of the trees), latex (20% of the trees), and mesophyll leaves with entire margins characterize the trees which are present in densities of 891.26 individuals over 10 cm DBH/hectare. Densities, frequencies, dominances, and importance values, based on a study of 600 trees, are given for the 178 species of trees found at a study site located near Buerarema, Bahia. Only 0.3% of the trees studied fell in the 80–89 cm size class whereas 95.5% were in size classes below 50 cm DBH. The forest appears to be stratified into lower, canopy, and emergent layers. Epiphytes (on 80% of trees) and lianas (on 37.5% of trees) are common. Trees flower throughout the year but exhibit a definite peak of flowering in the spring (October to December) which is probably a response to increase in daylength and/or temperature. Leaf fall and leaf flush are also more prevalent in the spring. The five most important families in terms of diversity, density, and dominance are: Myrtaceae, Sapotaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Lauraceae, and Chrysobalanaceae. A species list, based on the collections of the CEPEC herbarium, is included. Protected areas, in this rapidly disappearing vegetation type, represent only 0.1% of the original forest.ResumoAs matas higrófilas e mesófilas do sul da Bahia, embora que ocupam menos de 10% da cobertura original, representam uma das últimas reservas deste tipo de mata no leste do Brasil. Friedrich Sellow (1815) e K. F. P. von Martius (1818) foram os primeiros a colher amostras botânicas na região, uma tradição que tem sido intensificada desde 1965 pelo pessoal do Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (CEPEC). O clima onde ocorre estas matas é quente e úmido com os 1200 a 1800 mm de chuva média anual distribuída igualmente por todo o ano, assim apresentando condições ideais para o cultivo de cacau (Theobroma cacao L.), a safra principal da região. A estructura da mata e a sua composição florística correspondem com as da mata amazônica. Raízes tabulares (em 17% das árvores), latex (em 20% das árvores) e folhas mesófilas com bordos inteiros caracterizam as árvores que estão presentes em densidade de 891,26/hectare. Densidades, freqüências, dominâncias, valores de importância, baseados num estudo de 600 árvores, são dados para as 178 espécies de árvores encontradas no local do estudo, situado próximo à Buerarema, Bahia. Sòmente 0,3% destas árvores apareceram na classe de diâmetro de 80–89 cm enquanto que 95,5% cairam em classes abaixo de 50 cm DAP. A mata é aparentemente estratificada em três níveis de árvores, e epífitas (sobre 80% das árvores) e cipós (sobre 37,5% das árvores) estão comuns. Hão espécies de árvores que florescem em todas as épocas do ano, mas existe um pico definido de floração na primavera, que está, provavelmente, relacionado com o aumento no comprimento do dia e/ou temperatura. Queda e lançamento de folhas também prevalecem na primavera. As cinco famílias de árvores mais importantes em termos de diversidade, densidade, e dominância são Myrtaceae, Sapotaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Lauraceae, e Chrysobalanaceae. Uma lista de espécies, baseada na coleção do herbário do CEPEC, é incluída. Áreas protegidas em forma de parques nacionais ou reservas ecológicas representam sòmente 0, 1% da mata original da região.

Distribution patterns and conservation of eastern Brazilian coastal forest tree species

The distributions of 127 tree species, each with at least part of their range in the moist coastal forest of eastern Brazil, are analyzed. Of these, 53.5% are endemic to the coastal forest, 11.8% endemic to the coastal forest plus some part of the Planalto of Brazil, 7.8% disjunct with the Amazonian hylaea, and 26% widespread. This high endemism in the coastal forest of eastern Brazil, in view of its rapid destruction, emphasizes the need for increased preservation of the few remaining natural areas. In addition, this study supports the theory that there are at least two centers of endemism in the coastal forests, one centering around Rio de Janeiro and one in southern Bahia/Rio Doce, Espírito Santo. In order to protect the diverse flora of the coastal forests, preservation areas should be established intermittently along their entire length and especially in the centers of endemism.

A forest inventory in Amazonian Bolivia

A tree inventory was conducted in a terra firme Amazonian rainforest of northeastern Bolivia. A 1-ha linear transect (10 x 1000 m) was sampled for all trees with a DBH of 10 cm or greater to provide information about diversity, frequency, density, and dominance. Species and family importance values (FIV) were also calculated. The results show that 94 species, represented by 649 individuals with a total basal area of 214,844 cm2, occur in the hectare. Iryanthera juruensis, Pseudolmedia laevis, Euterpe precatoria, and Socratea exorrhiza are the most frequent species, occurring in at least 85 percent of the sampling subunits. The forest is dominated by relatively few species: 10.6 percent of them account for 47.4 percent of the importance value of the sample. The five most important families in order of importance are Moraceae, Myristicaceae, Palmae, Leguminosae sensu lato, and Melastomataceae. These five account for 60 percent of the total family importance values.

Addressing target two of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation by rapidly identifying plants at risk

Target two of the 2002 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), “A preliminary assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, at national, regional, and international levels” was not accomplished by its original 2010 target date and has therefore been included as a revised 2020 target, “An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action.” The most widely used system to estimate risk of extinction, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List, provides conservation assessments for fewer than 15,000 plant species. Progress achieving Target two has been hampered by the large number of plant species and the difficulty assembling the data needed for Red List assessments. Two streamlined methods for identifying those plant species considered At Risk under the GSPC Target two are compared and contrasted. Both methods use readily available locality data from herbarium specimens to efficiently identify At Risk species and approximate the list of species that would be identified as threatened by Red List analyses. A comprehensive analysis of the native plant species of Puerto Rico using both streamlined methods identifies 570 of the 2,025 species at some risk of extinction. More efficient systems for assessing threat allow a more timely response to Target two, allow conservation efforts to be directed to the species that need attention, and the list of threatened plants can be used to identify priority areas for plant conservation.

Toward Target 2 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: An Expert Analysis of the Puerto Rican Flora to Validate New Streamlined Methods for Assessing Conservation Status1

Abstract Target 2 of the 2020 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) calls for a comprehensive list of the worlds threatened plant species. The lack of such a list is one of the greatest impediments to protecting the full complement of the worlds plant species, and work to achieve this has been slow. An efficient system for identifying those species that are at risk of extinction could help to achieve this goal in a timeframe sensitive to todays conservation needs. Two systems that efficiently use available data to assess conservation status were tested against a provisional International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List analysis to evaluate the native seed plant species of Puerto Rico. It was demonstrated that both systems efficiently identify species at risk, which is a step toward both the GSPC Target 2 and a more comprehensive IUCN Red List for plants. Both systems were effective at identifying plant species at risk, with the New York analysis identifying 98% and the Smithsonian analysis 85% of the plant species considered Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Both analyses to some extent overestimated those plants at risk, but the species identified are all range restricted and, thus, of some conservation interest.

A revision of isertia (Isertieae: Rubiaceae)

A revision is presented, of the neotropical genusIsertia Schreber.Cassupa Humb. & Bonpl. is given a new status asIsertia sectionCassupa (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. M. Boom, based on differences in fruit type, number of locules in the ovary, and number of lobes of the stigma. A new combination is made at the species level,I. laevis (Triana) B. M. Boom, and a new species from Panama is described and illustrated,I. scorpioides B. M. Boom. Altogether, fourteen species and one variety are recognized in the genus.

New species of ternstroemia (Theaceae) from the Guayana Highland

Three new species ofTernstroemia are described and illustrated. Two of these,Ternstroemia aracae andT., prancei, are high-elevation taxa endemic to Serra Aracá. Brazil. The third,T. campinicola, is a low-elevation, widespread species restricted to white-sand savannas in the Brazilian, Venezuelan, and Colombian Guayana.

Botanical expeditions of The New York Botanical Garden

A list is given of the botanical expeditions undertaken by staff members, graduate students, and close collaborators of The New York Botanical Garden from 1897 to 1994.

THE LADEW EXPEDITION TO BOLIVIA AND PERU: GEORGE TATE'S BOTANICAL COLLECTIONS

In 1926 George Tate participated in a collecting expedition to the Cordillera Real of Bolivia and Peru under the auspices of H. S. Ladew and The American Museum of Natural History. Although the emphasis of the expedition was zoological, Tate managed to collect 1215 plant numbers from which over 50 new species were later described, primarily by H. H. Rusby. These specimens, including most types, were deposited at The New York Botanical Garden. Tate retained 632 duplicate sheets at the Museum to form the core of the “Ecological Herbarium of Dept. of Mammals.” The 24 collecting stations worked by Tate in Bolivia are described and mapped from data obtained from a transcribed copy of Tate’s field notes deposited in the archives of The New York Botanical Garden.

Coussarea granvillei (Rubiaceae, Coussareeae), a new species from French Guiana

Coussarea granvillei is newly described and illustrated from material collected in the environs of Mount Galbao, near Saül, French Guiana. This new species is compared toC. amapaensis, for which the morphological and distributional ranges are extended and briefly discussed, and toC. leptophragma andC. revoluta.