Floristic of three wetlands (banhados) of the Santa Catarina Plateau, Sothern Brazil

Abstract

The main goals of this study were to identify botanical species in three wet areas; analyze the frequency, life forms and habits of the species; propose an artificial stature class division and associate the botanical species to their economic and conservational potentialities. The survey was held by means of transects, from August/2011 till January/2013. Frequency was analyzed considering three degrees (rare/regular/abundant); life forms and species habits were established by in loco observation and bibliographic reference; stature class division has considered four strata; species economic potential uses and their “conservational indicator” were estimated by relevant bibliographic and law consultancy. 156 taxa were registered, distributed in 96 genus and 47 families. Families with the greatest specific richness were Poaceae (26 spp.), Asteraceae (23) and Cyperaceae (23), while other 24 families were represented by one specie each. The majority of the species got a regular frequency classification (77); the most common life forms were amphibians (107) and emergent (30), as well as those with herbaceous habit (124). The stature class with greater number of species was class III (≥ 50 e < 100 cm). Among species with potential use (58), pointed out the bioactive ones (27); and also were observed endangered ones (four) and endemic species (three), as well as some high grassland conservation indicator species (38) and some others, indicatives of peat (four). The study results indicate that the wetlands preservation is important not only for their diversity, but the species economical use and conservational potentialities.