Denise Monte Braz

Chave de identificação para as espécies de Dicotiledôneas arbóreas da Reserva Biológica do Tinguá, RJ, com base em caracteres vegetativos

The Tingua Biological Reserve is located within the boundaries of the municipalitiesof Nova Iguacu, Duque de Caxias, Miguel Pereira, and Petropolis, in the central-western region of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Its vegetation is mainly formed by forests belonging to the Atlantic Rain Forest Complex. Although located close to urban areas, the Tingua Reserve has suffered little deforestation which is assured by its species richness. As one of the several projects for the Reserve, developed by the Botany Department of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, an identification key of the woody Dicotyledons is presented, using morphological vegetative characters such as phyllotaxy, leaf shape, stipules, exsudates, lenticells, indument, and glands. A total of 109 species can be identified, belonging to 35 families.

Restinga de Praia das Neves, ES, Brasil: caracterizacao fitofisionomica, floristica e conservacao

A restinga de Praia das Neves ocupa uma extensa area (ca. 67 km2) no extremo sul do Estado do Espirito Santo (21°14′35.35″S e 40°56′48.68″W), limitada pelo Rio Itabapoana, na divisa com o Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O objetivo desse estudo foi identificar e caracterizar as diferentes formacoes vegetais dessa restinga e sua flora associada, incluindo o reconhecimento dos habitats relacionados ao lagarto ameacado de extincao Liolaemus lutzae Mertens, 1938. Excursoes para caracterizacao da flora local foram realizadas em campanhas pontuais, entre os anos de 2008 e 2011, e o material botânico foi identificado e posteriormente depositado no Herbario RBR do Departamento de Botânica da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. A caracterizacao das diferentes formacoes encontradas baseou-se em observacoes locais e na bibliografia especializada, considerando aspectos fisicos do ambiente, o habito e a composicao das especies vegetais. A vegetacao da restinga de Praia das Neves reune sete formacoes florestais, arbustivas e herbaceas, distribuidas em geral em faixas paralelas a linha da costa. Foram registradas 167 especies de plantas vasculares, reunidas em 58 familias, ocorrendo nas diferentes formacoes. A grande maioria das especies estudadas e exclusiva de uma unica formacao, enquanto que Allagoptera arenaria (guriri-da-praia) se destaca por ocorrer em quase todas as formacoes locais. A restinga de Praia das Neves mantem extensos trechos em bom estado de conservacao, com especies listadas como ameacadas para a flora do Estado do Espirito Santo e com importantes remanescentes de formacoes costeiras no Estado. Embora sua maior extensao esteja contida em area privada, acoes futuras devem assegurar a preservacao da restinga local, com suas formacoes vegetais e a biota associada, conforme indica a legislacao federal vigente.

Diversity, community structure and conservation status of an Atlantic Forest fragment in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

The State of Rio de Janeiro still holds unknown portions of the Atlantic Forest, which represent gaps in the knowledge of this ecosystem. Paracambi and neighbor municipal districts comprise a vast stretch of virtually unknown forest that makes up part of the Serra do Mar biodiversity corridor. The following study describes the tree community structure in a stretch of the ombrophilous Atlantic Forest, in the Parque Natural Municipal do Curio (Curio MNP), Paracambi, Rio de Janeiro, which serves as the basis to evaluate species diversity and conservation status. The altitudes in the area ranges from 100 to 690 m and the climate varies from mild subtropical to tropical hot and humid. Forty plots (10x10m) were randomly placed along the area, where all the stems equal to or greater than five centimeters (5 cm) diameter at breast high from ground level were measured. A total of 749 individuals, pertaining to 128 genera and 210 species were recorded, eight of which are listed as threatened of extinction in the Brazilian flora. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H′) was 4.7 nat.ind.-1 and the species with greater importance value was Pseudopiptadenia contorta (1.6460 m2; 18 individuals) while the most common species wereSenefeldera vertcilata (48) and Actinostemon verticilatus (47 individuals). Despite the sample area being a little smaller than that commonly adopted in tropical studies, data pointed to a richness hitherto not registered in any other study for the State of Rio de Janeiro, no matter the inclusion criteria used, and also confirmed by the two estimator indices used, which have revealed very similar results. The vertical forest structure, the values associated to the successional stage of the species and other aspects of community structure indicate that the Curio MNP encompasses forest stretches in advanced stages of ecological succession. Besides its key location for the connectivity of forest fragments in the region, the results emphasize the ecological importance of this forest remnant and the need for its conservation.

Interação microrganismo, solo e flora como condutores da diversidade na Mata Atlântica

ABSTRACT (Interaction of microorganisms, soil and flora as drivers of diversity in the Atlantic Forest). This study aimed to better understand the interaction between microorganisms, plants and soil. The study was conducted in Parque Natural Municipal do Curio (Paracambi, RJ). We selected two areas with different degrees of human disturbance, and in each of these enclosed a plot of 1,000 m 2 . Floristic surveys were carried out and litter and soil samples were collected to evaluate fertility and the microorganisms. In both areas, 89 species were found, within 59 genera and 33 families, of trees, shrubs, herbs and vines. The highest values o f pH, Ca and K were found in the area with the highest degree of human disturbance, indicating an environment of increased tropism. In the area with a lower degree of alteration, we observed higher values of H + Al, resulting from a higher amount of organic material. For the litter, the pattern was similar to that found for the soil. The highest values for the leaf litter also contributed to higher values of K, which is an element that easily leaches from mulch. Considering the abundance of microorganisms in both the litter and in soil, an uneven distribution of microorganisms was found due to the variation of relative humidity and temperature; bacteria were predominant, a pattern observed for both areas.

Novas espécies de Staurogyne Wall. (Acanthaceae) para o Brasil

The genus Staurogyne Wall. comprises about 140 tropical species, and in the Neotropics 28 species are recognized, especially found in preserved forested areas. A recent revision of the genus for the Americas revealed four new species in Brazil, which are here described. The new taxa are known from Goias, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana and Santa Catarina States, three of them occurring in the Atlantic Rain Forest, and one in the gallery forests of the cerrado domain.

Acanthaceae da Marambaia, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

This work consists of the taxonomic treatment of the Acanthaceae Juss. in Marambaia, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and their distribution in the different local plant communities. Five genera and nine species were found in mangrove, sand coastal plains (restingas), rain forest, and in urban areas. Thunbergia alata is introduced and widely naturalized throughout Brazil, and Ruellia blechum is a neotropical species also naturalized; the other species are native: Avicennia schaueriana, Aphelandra longiflora, Justicia brasiliana, J. cydoniifolia, J. plumbaginifolia, Ruellia solitaria, and Schaueria litoralis. Keys to species, descriptions, illustrations, comments on taxonomy, and their distribution in the local plant communities, in other restingas in Rio de Janeiro State, and in Brazil are provided. The species of Acanthaceae in Marambaia are important resources for different groups of pollinators and include typical (Justicia brasiliana, J. cydoniifolia) and exclusive (Schaueria litoralis) species of the restinga; these species plus Avicennia schaueriana are threatened in Rio de Janeiro State.

Typification of Neotropical Species of Staurogyne (Acanthaceae)

Abstract.  During revisionary work on the genus Staurogyne Wall. (Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, the need for typifications was apparent. Lectotypes are designated for S. anigozanthus (Nees) Kuntze, S. diantheroides Lindau, S. elegans (Nees) Kuntze, S. hirsuta (Nees) Kuntze, S. minarum (Nees) Kuntze, S. repens (Nees) Kuntze, and S. riedeliana (Nees) Kuntze. Neotypes are selected for S. eustachya Lindau, S. mandioccana (Nees) Kuntze, and S. veronicifolia (Nees) Kuntze.

Arboreal Eudicotyledons, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro) Botanical Garden (JB/UFRRJ) has a green area occupied mostly by sparsely planted arboreal species, in addition to a small area of regenerating forest and plantations. In consideration of the Brazilian federal rules for botanical gardens, the collection of the Arboretum was studied systematically: collection of complete samples, herborization and identification of the species by accepted botanical methods. The occurrence of native species from different Brazilian phytogeographic domains and common names were verified. A total of 125 species of arboreal Eudicotyledons, belonging to 30 families were registered, of which Fabaceae, Bignoniaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae and Anacardiaceae were the richest ones. Species in danger of extinction and others with biological, ecological or economic value are represented, demonstrating the importance of the area to flora conservation.

O gênero sulamericano Gynocraterium Bremek. (Acanthaceae, Nelsonioideae)

The monotypic genus Gynocraterium Bremek. has been known to be restricted to the Guiana, but recently was cited to other South American countries. Based on a revision of collections from 52 national and foreign herbaria, it is here demonstrated its occurrence in other localities, including the Brazilian Amazon forest. A revision on the genus to the Neotropics is here presented, with ratification of its description, and for Gynocraterium guianense Bremek. aspects of its morphology are for the first time illustrated, as well as description and SEM photographs of the pollen grains. Diagnostic features, phenology and new aspects on the distribution are listed to G. guianense, which is restricted to the Amazon region.