Floristic survey of a riparian forest in the “Sertão” mesoregion of Paraíba state, Brazil

Abstract

Riparian vegetation is the group of plant formations that border water bodies. It plays an important role in the maintenance of associated ecosystems. In Northeastern Brazil, especially at Paraíba state, studies on the flora of this type of environment are scarce. We aimed to conduct a floristic survey in a riparian forest along the Piranhas river, in the “Sertão” mesoregion of Paraiba state. The study was conducted from August 2013 to December 2014 over an area of 6 km along the river banks, in the municipality of São Bento. The botanical material was identified through morphological analyses by comparison with voucher specimens from the Herbarium collection of the Center for Rural Health and Technology, and through consultation of specialized bibliographies, image guides and identification keys. We found 105 species distributed across 88 genera and 44 families. Fabaceae was the most species-rich family (20 spp.), followed by Malvaceae (eight spp.), Euphorbiaceae (seven spp.) and Poaceae (five spp.). Amaranthaceae, Curcubitaceae, Lamiaceae, Phytolacaceae, Sapindaceae, Solanaceae and Verbenaceae were represented by three species each, whereas the other families were represented by less than three species. The importance of the river to the region, associated with the floristic richness found, highlight the need for planning and implementation of actions aimed at its recovery and conservation.