Síntese de estudos florísticos da Floresta Atlântica da Bahia

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is an important plant formation that originally covered more than 1.3 million square kilometers, today it is reduced to just over 12% of the original area and is considered as a biodiversity hotspots. In Bahia it is distributed in five regions, each one presenting different characteristics. The aim of this work was to compile published data about the floristic diversity cataloged in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Bahia, providing an overview of the most abundant families and genera of the difficulties and obstacles in the taxonomic identification for genera and families in the state of Bahia. A bibliographical survey was made in the main national and international databases in search of published articles about the Atlantic Forest of Bahia until the end of 2016. The floristic tables obtained were compiled in a database and from this preliminary list, we counted and classified the Unidentified taxa in the family, genus and species, and the total number of species identified by family and by gender. We also analyzed the sampled environments. Twenty-seven floristic tables obtained from 18 publications were counted, of which 11 are concentrated in general flora and 7 in woody plants. The most studied environments were the seasonal and ombrophilous forests. Revealing a still incipient study of associated ecosystems. The families with the highest number of species identified within the state are Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Orchidaceae, Asteraceae and Melastomataceae. And the most abundant genera are Eugenia, Ocotea, Psychotria, Solanum, Myrcia and Inga. In dealing with problems of taxonomic identification, the main obstacles are associated with the difficulties of collecting materials such as flowers, fruits and seeds, as well as the lack of specialists for gener revision and the elaboration of more precise keys that favor identification at the species level. The families Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae, Lauraceae and Fabaceae followed by the genus Eugenia, Ocotea, Myrcia and Pouteria present greater problems of identification. It was possible to conclude that studies within the state need to be intensified, as well as the study of the associated ecosystems and the more fragmented areas, since the surveys so far are concentrated in regions denser and closer to the coast. The formation of specialist botanists is essential for accurate taxonomic identification, thus reducing disparities in species richness within genera or families.