O cerrado da região no extremo nordeste do Estado de São Paulo, onde se situam os municípios de Pedregulho e Rifaina, é considerado floristicamente distinto dos demais remanescentes do estado. Neste estudo foi realizado um levantamento florístico em Pedregulho, abordando duas regiões geologicamente distintas: o Parque Estadual das Furnas do Bom Jesus e o distrito de Estreito. Em cada uma, foram delimitadas duas parcelas de 50 m x 50 m, totalizando um hectare de área de amostragem, onde foram encontradas 65 famílias e 378 espécies de angiospermas. Coletas em áreas adjacentes totalizaram 71 famílias e 442 espécies. São ainda analisados padrões de distribuição geográfica das espécies cuja distribuição no Estado de São Paulo é restrita à região de Pedregulho. A proporção entre o número de espécies e o tamanho da área amostrada foi elevada. Este inventário é comparado com outros estudos florísticos no cerrado de São Paulo, e sua lista de espécies com dados da Flora Fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo, da lista da Flora Vascular do Cerrado e da Lista Oficial de Espécies da Flora do Estado de São Paulo Ameaçadas de Extinção. Os resultados revelam espécies ausentes nestes tratamentos florísticos e sugerem uma possível sub-amostragem dos inventários, principalmente em relação a espécies herbáceas e subarbustivas. Foram realizadas análises multivariadas utilizando-se dois métodos (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages e Dentreded Correspondence Analysis) para verificar as relações de similaridade florística das regiões estudadas em Pedregulho com outras 85 localidades de cerrado, com espécies herbáceas a arbóreas. Os resultados variam de acordo com o tipo de análise e com os dados utilizados, mas sugerem que as duas regiões de Pedregulho formam um grupo com Delfinópolis, no sudoeste de Minas Gerais, à parte das demais áreas do Estado de São Paulo. / The cerrado vegetation in the far northwestern region of São Paulo State, where the municipalities of Pedregulho and Rifaina are located, is considered floristically different the others cerrado remanescents in the state. A floristic survey was carried out in two geologically distinct regions in Pedregulho: the Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park and the Estreito district. In each one, two quadrats of 50 m x 50 m were delimited, totalizing one hectare of sampled area, where a total of 65 families and 378 species of angiosperms were recorded. Collecting efforts were made in adjacent areas, totalizing 71 families and 442 species. Patterns of geographic distribution of species which ocurrence in São Paulo State is restricted to Pedregulho region were analised. There was found a high proportion of species number to the size of sampled area. This inventory was compared to others floristic studies of São Paulo cerrado, and its checklist to data from the the Fanerogamic Flora of São Paulo State, list of Vascular Flora of Cerrado and the Oficial List of Threatened Species of São Paulo State. The results reveal non-registred species by these studies and suggest a possible sub-sampling by inventories, mainly herbaceous and subshrubby species. Multivariate analyses with two methods (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages e Dentreded Correspondence Analysis) were made to verify the floristic similarity relationship of the two studied regions in Pedregulho and others 85 localities in Brazilian cerrado, inclunding all vegetation components. The results vary according to the analisys type and to the used data. However, they suggest that the two regions in Pedregulho form a group with Delfinópolis, located in the southwestern of Minas Gerais State, apart from the others areas in São Paulo State.

A biodiversidade e a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica na Zona Costeira Amazônica Brasileira foi avaliada com base em 272 publicações, relativas ao período entre 1861 e 2016, e a partir de oito cruzeiros oceanográficos realizados em diferentes fases do ciclo do Rio Amazonas entre os anos de 2013 a 2015. A seleção das publicações restringiu-se as que apresentaram identificação taxonômica, em diferentes níveis, e/ou quantificação, expressa em densidade celular, obtidas exclusivamente através de microscopia ótica. A composição específica e a densidade celular do fitoplâncton foram avaliadas através da metodologia Utermöhl (1958). As informações disponíveis, principalmente sob a forma de resumos em congressos (67%), monografias (13%) e artigos publicados em periódicos (11%), foram resgatadas de estudos desenvolvidos no litoral dos Estados do Pará (131), Maranhão (105) e Amapá (3), assim como na plataforma continental (36). Entre os ecossistemas mais bem estudados, estão os estuários (135 referências), plataforma continental (36 referências) e as praias (30), sendo o enfoque ecológico o principal objetivo das investigações científicas (96%). Atualmente, o inventário de espécies inclui 1157 táxons distribuídos em 612 diatomáceas, 252 dinoflagelados, 199 clorofíceas, 56 cianobactérias, 19 cocolitoforídeos, 19 euglenofíceas e uma criptofícea. Com base nesta revisão e nas amostragens realizadas neste estudo, a análise da estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica na Plataforma Continental Amazônica é característica de ambientes costeiros sob influência de plumas fluviais, com dois cenários ecológicos relacionados aos períodos de vazão do Rio Amazonas: um de maior influência, nos meses de abril e julho, e outro oposto, nos meses de outubro e janeiro. Observou-se uma distribuição em faixas, de acordo com as características ambientais e a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica, divididas em plataforma interna sob influência da pluma, zona de transição e plataforma externa com influência oceânica. As Diatomáceas são responsáveis pelas altas densidades (105 cel.L-1) na região costeira, especialmente sob influência da pluma, contribuindo para o incremento de Clorofila a (>10 &mu;g.L-1). Na porção oceânica, sem influência da pluma, as concentrações de Cla são baixas (<2 &mu;g.L-1) e predominam (104 cel.L-1) as cianobactérias filamentosas e cocolitoforídeos. A variabilidade temporal da descarga do Rio Amazonas e, consequentemente, da dinâmica espacial da pluma, é o principal fator responsável por mudanças na salinidade e disponibilidade de nutrientes, determinando a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica. Este estudo reforça a importância da manutenção de séries temporais e o levantamento da biodiversidade para a compreensão da dinâmica da comunidade fitoplanctônica em ambientes de alta complexidade, como a Plataforma Continental Amazônica. / Phytoplankton biodiversity and structure in the Brazilian Amazon Coastal Zone was evaluated based on 272 publications from the period between 1861 and 2016 and from eight oceanographic cruises carried out in different phases of the Amazon river hydrograph between the years 2013 to 2015. Selected publications were restricted to those which presented taxonomic identification at different levels, and / or quantification in terms of cell density, obtained exclusively by optical microscopy. Specific composition and phytoplankton cell density was evaluated by Utermöhl methodology (1958). Available information in the form of conference abstracts (67%), monographs (13%) and journal articles (11%) were rescued from studies developed on the coast of Pará (131), Maranhão (105) and Amapá (3), as well as on the continental shelf (36). Within these, the best studied ecosystems are estuaries (135 references), the continental shelf (36 references) and the beaches (30), with an ecological approach as the main research objective (96%). Currently, species inventories include 1157 taxa, distributed in 612 diatoms, 252 dinoflagellates, 199 chlorophytes, 56 cyanobacteria, 19 coccolithophorids, 19 euglenoids and one criptoficean. Based on this review and on the results obtained in this study, the structure of the phytoplankton community in the Amazon Continental Shelf is characteristic of coastal environments under the influence of river plumes, with two ecological scenarios related to the Amazon river discharge, one with greater influence in April and July and another with less influence in October and January. The distribution occurs in bands, according to the environmental characteristics and the structure of the phytoplankton community, divided into internal continental shelf under the influence of the plume, transition zone, and external continental shelf with oceanic influence. Diatoms are responsible for the high densities (105 cells.L-1) in the coastal region, especially under the influence of the plume, contributing with the increase of chlorophyll a (> 10 &mu;g.L-1). At the oceanic portion without influence of the plume, Cla concentrations are low (<2 &mu;g.L-1) and filamentous cyanobacteria (104 cells.L-1) and coccolithophorids dominate. The temporal variability of the discharge of the Amazon river and, consequently, the spatial dynamics of the plume, is the main factor responsible for changes in salinity and nutrient availability, determining the structure of the phytoplankton community. This study reinforces the importance of maintaining time series and biodiversity surveys to understand phytoplankton community dynamics in highly complex environments such as the Continental Amazon Shelf.

Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, located in southwestern Pasco County, Florida, contains nearly 7,689.06 hectares (19,000 acres) and includes 18 natural communities. A floristic inventory was conducted on approximately 404.69 hectares (1,000 acres) within Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park which included 11 community types. A comparison of those 11 communities in the study area with the rest of the park shows that the dominant community types do occur within the study site, making it representative of the entire park. The objective of this study conducted from May 2003 to October 2004 was to compile a list of the vascular plant taxa found within the study area to be used by the Southwest Water Management District to help in their management regimes. A total of 475 taxa were collected, representing 104 families, and 269 genera. Of these 436 are native taxa, 16 endemic taxa, 39 non-native taxa, 32 county records, 7 listed taxa, and 5 commercially exploited taxa. Each natural community is described and an annotated list of the vascular plant taxa is presented.

A biodiversidade e a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica na Zona Costeira Amazônica Brasileira foi avaliada com base em 272 publicações, relativas ao período entre 1861 e 2016, e a partir de oito cruzeiros oceanográficos realizados em diferentes fases do ciclo do Rio Amazonas entre os anos de 2013 a 2015. A seleção das publicações restringiu-se as que apresentaram identificação taxonômica, em diferentes níveis, e/ou quantificação, expressa em densidade celular, obtidas exclusivamente através de microscopia ótica. A composição específica e a densidade celular do fitoplâncton foram avaliadas através da metodologia Utermöhl (1958). As informações disponíveis, principalmente sob a forma de resumos em congressos (67%), monografias (13%) e artigos publicados em periódicos (11%), foram resgatadas de estudos desenvolvidos no litoral dos Estados do Pará (131), Maranhão (105) e Amapá (3), assim como na plataforma continental (36). Entre os ecossistemas mais bem estudados, estão os estuários (135 referências), plataforma continental (36 referências) e as praias (30), sendo o enfoque ecológico o principal objetivo das investigações científicas (96%). Atualmente, o inventário de espécies inclui 1157 táxons distribuídos em 612 diatomáceas, 252 dinoflagelados, 199 clorofíceas, 56 cianobactérias, 19 cocolitoforídeos, 19 euglenofíceas e uma criptofícea. Com base nesta revisão e nas amostragens realizadas neste estudo, a análise da estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica na Plataforma Continental Amazônica é característica de ambientes costeiros sob influência de plumas fluviais, com dois cenários ecológicos relacionados aos períodos de vazão do Rio Amazonas: um de maior influência, nos meses de abril e julho, e outro oposto, nos meses de outubro e janeiro. Observou-se uma distribuição em faixas, de acordo com as características ambientais e a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica, divididas em plataforma interna sob influência da pluma, zona de transição e plataforma externa com influência oceânica. As Diatomáceas são responsáveis pelas altas densidades (105 cel.L-1) na região costeira, especialmente sob influência da pluma, contribuindo para o incremento de Clorofila a (>10 &mu;g.L-1). Na porção oceânica, sem influência da pluma, as concentrações de Cla são baixas (<2 &mu;g.L-1) e predominam (104 cel.L-1) as cianobactérias filamentosas e cocolitoforídeos. A variabilidade temporal da descarga do Rio Amazonas e, consequentemente, da dinâmica espacial da pluma, é o principal fator responsável por mudanças na salinidade e disponibilidade de nutrientes, determinando a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica. Este estudo reforça a importância da manutenção de séries temporais e o levantamento da biodiversidade para a compreensão da dinâmica da comunidade fitoplanctônica em ambientes de alta complexidade, como a Plataforma Continental Amazônica. / Phytoplankton biodiversity and structure in the Brazilian Amazon Coastal Zone was evaluated based on 272 publications from the period between 1861 and 2016 and from eight oceanographic cruises carried out in different phases of the Amazon river hydrograph between the years 2013 to 2015. Selected publications were restricted to those which presented taxonomic identification at different levels, and / or quantification in terms of cell density, obtained exclusively by optical microscopy. Specific composition and phytoplankton cell density was evaluated by Utermöhl methodology (1958). Available information in the form of conference abstracts (67%), monographs (13%) and journal articles (11%) were rescued from studies developed on the coast of Pará (131), Maranhão (105) and Amapá (3), as well as on the continental shelf (36). Within these, the best studied ecosystems are estuaries (135 references), the continental shelf (36 references) and the beaches (30), with an ecological approach as the main research objective (96%). Currently, species inventories include 1157 taxa, distributed in 612 diatoms, 252 dinoflagellates, 199 chlorophytes, 56 cyanobacteria, 19 coccolithophorids, 19 euglenoids and one criptoficean. Based on this review and on the results obtained in this study, the structure of the phytoplankton community in the Amazon Continental Shelf is characteristic of coastal environments under the influence of river plumes, with two ecological scenarios related to the Amazon river discharge, one with greater influence in April and July and another with less influence in October and January. The distribution occurs in bands, according to the environmental characteristics and the structure of the phytoplankton community, divided into internal continental shelf under the influence of the plume, transition zone, and external continental shelf with oceanic influence. Diatoms are responsible for the high densities (105 cells.L-1) in the coastal region, especially under the influence of the plume, contributing with the increase of chlorophyll a (> 10 &mu;g.L-1). At the oceanic portion without influence of the plume, Cla concentrations are low (<2 &mu;g.L-1) and filamentous cyanobacteria (104 cells.L-1) and coccolithophorids dominate. The temporal variability of the discharge of the Amazon river and, consequently, the spatial dynamics of the plume, is the main factor responsible for changes in salinity and nutrient availability, determining the structure of the phytoplankton community. This study reinforces the importance of maintaining time series and biodiversity surveys to understand phytoplankton community dynamics in highly complex environments such as the Continental Amazon Shelf.

Orientador: Fernando Roberto Martins / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T10:50:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Weiser_VeridianadeLara_D.pdf: 4641893 bytes, checksum: 1aa201008555e81839cb53153494c2b9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: O Bioma Cerrado contém uma diversidade imensa de espécies, sendo grande parte delas endêmica. Devido à ameaça intensa e crescente sobre seus recursos naturais, o Cerrado é considerado atualmente como uma das áreas prioritárias para a conservação da diversidade biológica mundial. No workshop ¿Bases para conservação e uso sustentável das áreas de cerrado do estado de São Paulo¿ de 1995, foram consideradas áreas prioritárias para a conservação as que apresentavam maior pressão antrópica, como a região de Bauru, onde os remanescentes de cerrado estão sob maior ameaça, porque eles estão muito próximos da mancha urbana, que está crescendo em direção às áreas de vegetação de Cerrado. Bauru está localizada no centro-oeste do estado de São Paulo, e a vegetação predominante é o cerradão, cuja flora é muito pouco conhecida, especialmente as trepadeiras. A maioria dos estudos florísticos realizados no estado de São Paulo simplesmente negligenciaram as trepadeiras. Nosso objetivo foi documentar a diversidade alfa de uma área de cerradão, considerando tanto as espécies de arbustos, árvores e trepadeiras (riqueza) quanto a sua abundância (equabilidade). Estabelecemos 100 parcelas aleatórias de 10 x 10 m no cerradão do Jardim Botânico Municipal de Bauru, que possui área total de 321,71 hectares. Todos os arbustos, árvores e trepadeiras enraizados nessas parcelas foram amostrados e identificados. Encontramos 14.208 indivíduos de 192 espécies, 129 gêneros e 55 famílias, das quais 140 (73%) espécies eram de arbustos e árvores e 52 (27%) espécies eram de trepadeiras. Dos arbustos e árvores amostrados, 7.744 indivíduos não estavam infestados por trepadeiras, e os restantes 3.429 indivíduos apresentaram uma ou mais trepadeiras, caracterizando uma infestação de 30,7% dos arbustos e árvores na área e uma média de 1,34 trepadeiras por forófito. O Jardim Botânico Municipal de Bauru é uma importante área prioritária para a conservação porque representa um dos últimos fragmentos com área total superior a 200 hectares na região centro-oeste do estado de São Paulo, porque está sob alta pressão demográfica devido à proximidade com a mancha urbana e, principalmente, porque apresenta uma alta diversidade florística / Abstract: The Cerrado Biome contains an immense diversity of species, most of them being endemic. Due to the intense and increasing threats to its natural resources, the Cerrado is currently considered as a priority area for the world-wide biological diversity conservation. In the 1995 workshop ¿Conservation basis and the sustainable use of the cerrado areas of São Paulo State¿, the priority areas for conservation were considered those with greater anthropic pressure, such as the Bauru region, where the cerrado fragments are highly endangered because they are close to the city, which is growing towards the cerrado areas. Bauru is located at the middle-west of São Paulo State, and the predominant vegetation is the cerradão, with a poorly known flora, especially the climbers. Most floristic surveys carried out in São Paulo State have simply disregarded the climbers. We aimed to document the alfa-diversity of a cerradão area, considering both the species of shrubs, trees and climbers (richness) and their abundance (equitability). We set 100 random 10 x 10 m plots in the cerradão of the Bauru Botanical Garden, which has a total area of 321,71 hectares. We sampled and identified all shrubs, trees and climbers rooted in each plot. We found 14.208 individuals of 192 species in 129 genera and 55 families, of which 140 (73%) species of shrubs and trees and 52 (27%) species of climbers. Among the shrubs and trees sampled 7.744 individuals were not infested by climbers and the other 3.429 individuals had one or more climbers, thus yielding infestation of 30,7% of the shrubs and trees in the area and a mean of 1,34 climbers per phorophyte. The Bauru Botanical Garden is an important priority area for conservation because it represents one of the last fragments with total area larger than 200 hectares in the middle-west of São Paulo State, because it is under high demographic pressure due to its proximity with the city, and especially because it has a high floristic diversity / Doutorado / Doutor em Ecologia

Orientadores: Maria do Carmo Estanislau do Amaral, Andre Marcio Araujo Amorin / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T23:14:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Souza_ClaraSampaioDiasde_M.pdf: 29137311 bytes, checksum: ee98cc502c433070913564d6268045d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: As restingas são áreas com vegetação bem estudada nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil, mas ainda faltam dados publicados sobre esses ambientes no norte e nordeste do país. Esses ecossistemas fazem parte do bioma da Mata Atlântica, e muito dessa vegetação já foi perdida durante todos os anos de degradação (da cobertura original restam apenas 7% da Mata Atlântica). Esse cenário é ainda pior no nordeste do país onde não há áreas de preservação que compreendam restingas em suas delimitações. Uma feição das restingas, que são as áreas palustres e lagoas, são ainda menos estudadas. As áreas palustres são caracterizadas por passarem por uma fase de alagamento durante o período chuvoso. Para facilitar o acesso ao conhecimento das plantas presentes nas restingas são necessárias publicações de listas de espécies e chaves de identificação, estas últimas tão escassas para o ambiente palustre. Durante a realização desse trabalho uma chave interativa de identificação foi elaborada para todas as espécies aquáticas e palustres encontradas na restinga da Península de Maraú, Costa do Dendê, sul do estado da Bahia. Essa chave foi elaborada com o programa de computador Lucid v.3.4, que possibilita a inserção dos caracteres e seus estados de forma hierárquica e relacionados aos taxa. Existem muitas vantagens dessas chaves sobre as dicotômicas: uso irrestrito de caracteres, modificações em tempo real, figuras e imagens disponíveis, e uma medida percentual ao lado dos táxons restantes, após a escolha dos caracteres pelo usuário, apontam a probabilidade desses serem o táxon buscado. As coletas foram realizadas durante os anos de 2006 a 2008, nos meses de maio, setembro e dezembro no ano de 2006; fevereiro, maio e julho no ano de 2007; e em janeiro de 2008. Para o material digital fotos das partes vegetativas e reprodutivas foram tiradas de todas as espécies possíveis. Baseados nos espécimes coletados foram identificados 86 espécies. A família Cyperaceae foi a mais representativa com 19 espécies, e 11 gêneros. Mas o grupo das "dicotiledôneas" apresentou 19 famílias identificadas, enquanto as monocotiledôneas tiveram 8 famílias identificadas. Entre as espécies identificadas 13 foram consideradas como novas ocorrências para o local, ou seja, não haviam sido coletadas antes. Após a comparação com floras em restingas de outros estdos observou-se algumas semelhanças. Mas houve semelhanças também com uma flora do campo rupestre do Pico das Almas, o que pode ser relacionado como disjunção. Mais coletas e outras análises com comparações mais detalhadas seriam necessárias para que esse fato fosse confirmado. A península de Maraú parece ser uma área de potencial preservação por apresentar características semelhantes a outras áreas de restinga que são unidades de conservação e de preservação permanente (Parque Nacional de Jurutiba e restinga da Marambaia, ambas no estado do Rio de Janeiro). Mais coletas são necessárias para o aumento do conhecimento da vegetação dessa área, que talvez seja uma das últimas áreas de restinga bem preservada no estado da Bahia. / Abstract: The "restinga" (costal plains on sandy soils) vegetation is well studied in the southeastern and southern regions of Brazil, but published data are still lacking for these environments in the North and Northeast of the country. These ecosystems are part of the Atlantic Forest biome, and much of the vegetation has been lost during all the years of destruction (of the original coverage only 7% of the Atlantic Forest is left). This scenario is even worse in the northeast of the country where there are no areas of preservation that have "restingas" included. One part of the "restinga", the areas with swamps and ponds, is even less studied. Those swamps are characterized by going through a period of flooding during the rainy season. To make accession to the knowledge of "restinga" plants easier publications of lists of species and identification keys are required, the latter specially for this environment. During the completion of this work an interactive identification key was prepared for all aquatic and swamp species found on the "restinga" from the Peninsula of Maraú, Coast of Dendê, in the south of Bahia state. This key was developed with the computer program Lucid v.3.4, which enables the insertion of the characters and their status in a hierarchical structure and related these to the taxa. There are many advantages of such keys over dichotomic key: unrestricted use of characters, changes in real time, figures and images can be included, and a measure of percentage of the other taxa, after the choice of characters by the user, points to the likelihood of it being searched taxon. Specimens were collected during the years from 2006 to 2008; in the months of May, September and December in the year 2006; February, May and July in the year 2007; and in January 2008. Digital photos of the vegetative and reproductive elements were taken of all species whenever possible. The specimens were identified as belonging to 83 species. The family Cyperaceae was the most represented with 19 species in 11 genera. But dicots presented 19 identified families, while the monocots had 8 identified families. Among the species identified 13 were considered as new events for the place, it means that had not been collected before. A comparison with the flora in restinga of other states some similarities where identified. But there were also similarities with a flora of the "campo rupestre" of Pico das Almas, which can be related as disjunction. More collections and other analyses would be needed to confirm the data. The peninsula of Maraú seems to be an area of potential preservation by presenting similar characteristics as other areas of restinga which are units of conservation and of permanent preservation (National Park of Jurutiba and restinga of Marambaia, both in the state of Rio de Janeiro). More colectors of non-aquatic and aquatic habitats are needed to increase the knowledge of the vegetation of that area, which is perhaps one of the last well preserved areas of restinga in the state of Bahia. / Mestrado / Mestre em Biologia Vegetal

O cerrado da região no extremo nordeste do Estado de São Paulo, onde se situam os municípios de Pedregulho e Rifaina, é considerado floristicamente distinto dos demais remanescentes do estado. Neste estudo foi realizado um levantamento florístico em Pedregulho, abordando duas regiões geologicamente distintas: o Parque Estadual das Furnas do Bom Jesus e o distrito de Estreito. Em cada uma, foram delimitadas duas parcelas de 50 m x 50 m, totalizando um hectare de área de amostragem, onde foram encontradas 65 famílias e 378 espécies de angiospermas. Coletas em áreas adjacentes totalizaram 71 famílias e 442 espécies. São ainda analisados padrões de distribuição geográfica das espécies cuja distribuição no Estado de São Paulo é restrita à região de Pedregulho. A proporção entre o número de espécies e o tamanho da área amostrada foi elevada. Este inventário é comparado com outros estudos florísticos no cerrado de São Paulo, e sua lista de espécies com dados da Flora Fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo, da lista da Flora Vascular do Cerrado e da Lista Oficial de Espécies da Flora do Estado de São Paulo Ameaçadas de Extinção. Os resultados revelam espécies ausentes nestes tratamentos florísticos e sugerem uma possível sub-amostragem dos inventários, principalmente em relação a espécies herbáceas e subarbustivas. Foram realizadas análises multivariadas utilizando-se dois métodos (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages e Dentreded Correspondence Analysis) para verificar as relações de similaridade florística das regiões estudadas em Pedregulho com outras 85 localidades de cerrado, com espécies herbáceas a arbóreas. Os resultados variam de acordo com o tipo de análise e com os dados utilizados, mas sugerem que as duas regiões de Pedregulho formam um grupo com Delfinópolis, no sudoeste de Minas Gerais, à parte das demais áreas do Estado de São Paulo. / The cerrado vegetation in the far northwestern region of São Paulo State, where the municipalities of Pedregulho and Rifaina are located, is considered floristically different the others cerrado remanescents in the state. A floristic survey was carried out in two geologically distinct regions in Pedregulho: the Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park and the Estreito district. In each one, two quadrats of 50 m x 50 m were delimited, totalizing one hectare of sampled area, where a total of 65 families and 378 species of angiosperms were recorded. Collecting efforts were made in adjacent areas, totalizing 71 families and 442 species. Patterns of geographic distribution of species which ocurrence in São Paulo State is restricted to Pedregulho region were analised. There was found a high proportion of species number to the size of sampled area. This inventory was compared to others floristic studies of São Paulo cerrado, and its checklist to data from the the Fanerogamic Flora of São Paulo State, list of Vascular Flora of Cerrado and the Oficial List of Threatened Species of São Paulo State. The results reveal non-registred species by these studies and suggest a possible sub-sampling by inventories, mainly herbaceous and subshrubby species. Multivariate analyses with two methods (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages e Dentreded Correspondence Analysis) were made to verify the floristic similarity relationship of the two studied regions in Pedregulho and others 85 localities in Brazilian cerrado, inclunding all vegetation components. The results vary according to the analisys type and to the used data. However, they suggest that the two regions in Pedregulho form a group with Delfinópolis, located in the southwestern of Minas Gerais State, apart from the others areas in São Paulo State.

Freshwater turtles are among the most threatened groups of taxa globally, and the bog turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii is among the most imperiled in North America. In Virginia, USA, bog turtles are restricted to occupying Appalachian Mountain fens. Fens are naturally small and fragmented wetlands characterized by elevated water tables and an open canopy. Although there is a strong need to document and monitor populations of bog turtles, efforts to do so are often limited by the low detection of the species. The first objective of this thesis was to assess proposed methodologies for locating populations of turtles on the landscape. My first chapter assessed a previously-developed habitat distribution model for bog turtles using an occupancy modeling approach. I conducted 216 surveys of 49 discretely predicted patches of habitat, recording conditions such as weather, size of wetland and time of year, hypothesized to affect detection during each survey. In addition, I assessed factors including stream entrenchment, grazing presence and surrounding impervious surfaces for each surveyed patch to identify data sources that could improve future models or better assess sites. I found that sites with larger total wetland area had higher detection per survey, possibly due to larger sites having higher densities of turtles (among other explanations), and that sites with higher amounts of impervious surfaces within their drainage were less likely to be occupied. In addition to the bog turtle, several plant species also occur in mountain fens. These species usually have a locally rare distribution or are disjuncts from a more northern latitude. Because of these traits, a high diversity of specialist plants may be indicative of a fen with a robust hydrology that has historically been less disturbed. Past site quality analyses have proposed using indicator diversity to assess sites, but no study has found if these species to tend to co-occur. My second chapter examines this hypothesis. I first chose a list of plant species that would most likely have habitat requirements similar to those of turtles. Then, at 12 sites, 6 with turtles and 6 without, I conducted a complete floral inventory. I first tested community-wide differences between the floral communities of these sites and found no difference, but when I narrowed my analysis to examining occurrence patterns of plant species determined a priori to be fen specialists and Glyptemys muhlenbergii, a pattern of co-occurrence was found. This lends support to the idea that indicator plants could be used as a tool to better evaluate sites that may have bog turtles. My last chapter investigated movement of bog turtles in a landscape impacted by anthropogenic development. Movement of turtles between adjacent sites is critical to maintaining genetic diversity and maintaining metapopulation integrity. Despite this importance, records of long distances movements among wetlands are scarce in the literature, likely due to the lack of long-term studies for areas with multiple adjacent sites. In Virginia, mark recapture monitoring has been done intermittently in a cluster of sites for over 32 years. To determine the prevalence of movement among sites for bog turtles, I examined the dataset for all instances of turtles found at sites different from their last capture. I calculated the straight-line distance for each recorded movement. I also examined the sex of the turtle to test whether sex influences movement the frequency and distance of movements. For a subset of movements, I calculated least-cost pathways to identify possible barriers to movement using a previously published resistance model. I found 21 instances where a turtle was caught at a different site than its last capture over 32 years of monitoring. Neither sex was more likely to move farther than the other. Although the study's observed rate of movement may appear low, it is likely an underestimate when detection and asymmetric sampling are taken into account. The least cost pathways analysis suggested that roads or driveways were likely crossed for a significant portion of movement events. Finally, to examine how movement may be affecting the current distribution of bog turtles, I described a method to test whether adjacency to known populations influences the probability of a new site being occupied by turtles. I prove the utility of the method by applying it to a map of bog turtle occurrences collected over this study and show that it can account for habitat differences and barriers to movement between sites as well. In spite of plausibility of the method, limitations in how occurrence data are currently collected prevent its immediate application. Together, this thesis will help managers not only find and assess wetlands on the landscape, it will also provide information about the network of connected patches on the landscape. Knowing where bog turtles are and what wetlands or sub-populations are potentially connected will allowed for a more directed and informed regional management strategy. / Master of Science / Freshwater turtles are facing population declines worldwide, and the bog turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii is among the most imperiled in North America. Bog turtles occupy naturally small, specialized wetlands called Appalachian Mountain fens. The prevalence of fens on the landscape has declined over recent decades due to agricultural practices. Although there is a strong need to document and monitor bog turtle populations due to their threatened status, bog turtles are difficult to find due to their small size and ability to burrow completely into substrate. Thus, considerable effort must be expended to find populations and track their status. The first overall objective of this thesis was to assess methods for locating populations of bog turtles. My first chapter tests a habitat distribution model that uses publicly available landscape data such as topopgraphy and land cover to predict areas likely to contain turtles. To do this, I systematically surveyed 49 predicted sites multiple times each over 2 years. Simultaneously, I recorded variables such as the time of year, size of the wetland and the weather to determine whether any factor significantly explained the ability to find turtles on any given survey. In addition, I was able to record several variables relating to wetland quality and isolation that were not in the initial model. I found that larger wetlands were easier to search than smaller wetlands, possibly due to larger sites having more turtles, and that wetlands near more impermeable surfaces (such as roads and buildings) were less likely to have bog turtles. As another potential method to find bog turtles and assess sites, we tested the use of 'pristine indicator' plants as a metric for potential wetlands. Mountain fens have specific attributes, such as high groundwater influence and exposure to a large amount of sunlight. Several species, including the bog turtle, are specialized to these factors and are rarely found in the surrounding landscape. Because a distinct community exists for mountain fens in this region, sites with a higher diversity of fen specialist plants may be indicative of a higher quality site which can support more specialists, including the bog turtle. My second chapter tests this hypothesis. I first chose a list of species that would most likely have habitat requirements similar to those of bog turtles. Then, at 12 sites I documented every plant species I encountered within the wetland. I compared the plant community as a whole between bog turtle-occupied and unoccupied sites and found no significant difference between the two. When I narrowed my analysis to focus on plants I previously identified as sharing habitat requirements with the bog turtle, I found a strong pattern of their co-occurrence with bog turtles. This lends support to the idea that these 'pristine indicator' plants could be used as a tool to better evaluate sites that may have bog turtles. My last chapter investigates movement of bog turtles in a landscape impacted by human development. Movement of turtles between adjacent wetlands is critical to maintaining long term regional viability of the species, as it lets turtles colonize new sites and exchange genes. Despite the importance of these movements, records of turtles moving long distances between two wetlands is scarce in the literature, likely due to the lack of long-term studies for areas with multiple adjacent wetlands. One method of recording movements is by marking turtles with a unique ID and recording where it was encountered as wetlands are surveyed on the landscape. In Virginia, this procedure has been conducted at multiple sites over 32 years. To understand the prevalence of movement between sites for this species, I examined this dataset and examined all instances of a turtle being found at a site different from its last capture. I recorded the straight-line distance moved for each recorded movement as well as the sex of the turtle, to test if either sex was more or less likely to undertake these movements. Then, for a subset of movements, I calculated least-cost pathways, a metric that accounts for landscape features and plots the easiest route for turtles to move. This way, I could evaluate the prevalence of barriers to movement, such as roads or development, on the landscape. I found 21 documented movements among sites over 32 years of monitoring. Neither sex was more likely to move further than the other. Compared to studies looking at other freshwater turtles, the observed rate of movement appeared low, but this was likely an underestimate due to the difficulty of capturing specific individuals. I also found evidence of significant barriers to movement in 13 out of 17 evaluated least-costs paths, usually roads or driveways. Finally, to examine how movement affects bog turtle distribution, I describe a methodology of testing if adjacency to known populations influences the probability of a new site being occupied by turtles. I demonstrate the plausibility of the method by applying it to a map of occurrences collected over this study and show that it can account for habitat differences and barriers to movement between sites as well. However, limitations in my sampling scheme limit conclusions from my dataset. Together, these findings will help future managers find where turtles are and which sites may be connected. These results will help managers make more informed decisions for managing bog turtles at a statewide level.

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