Revista Eletrônica de Biologia

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Revista Eletrônica de Biologia

REB Volume 2 (2): 54-63, 2009 ISSN 1983-7682

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_______________________________________________________________ Angiospermas em um riacho de cabeceira da bacia do alto rio Paraná, Estado

de São Paulo, Brasil

Angiosperms found in a tributary stream located in upper river Paraná, state of São Paulo, Brazil

Renato Braz de Araújo; 1 Valdener Garutti; 2 Neusa Taroda Ranga3

1

Biólogo, Mestre e Doutor em Aquicultura - Biologia de Organismos Aquáticos pelo Centro de Aquicultura da Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP. 2 Pesquisador do Instituto Universitário do Araguaia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, UFMT, Pontal do Araguaia, MT .

3

Professora Assistente Doutora do Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica. Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Campus de São José do Rio Preto, SP.

E-mail [email protected]

Apoio financeiro: CAPES

Abstract

Angiosperms were surveyed in a tributary stream of córrego do Cedro located in the northwestern region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. In this stream, three sites were sampled: headwaters, middle course, and mouth. Also, microhabitat characterization including width, depth, current velocity, and substrate was recorded. The survey revealed the occurrence of 29 species, 24 genera, and 17 families in the marginal, aquatic and adjacent vegetation.

Key words: angiosperms, vegetation, headwaters streams, microhabitat, degraded area,

upper Paraná River basin.

Resumo

Em um riacho afluente do córrego do Cedro situado na região Noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foi feito inventário de espécies de angiospermas. Nesse riacho, três pontos foram amostrados: nascente, curso médio e desembocadura. Também foram registradas informações sobre a caracterização dos microhabitats incluindo largura, profundidade, velocidade da água e substrato. O inventário revelou a ocorrência de 29 espécies, 24 gêneros e 17 famílias na vegetação aquática, marginal e adjacente.

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Palavras-chave: angiospermas, vegetação, riachos de cabeceira, microhabitat, área

degradada, alto rio Paraná.

1) Introduction

In the Upper Paraná River basin there is a large quantity of headwater streams associated with larger rivers mainly inhabited by small size fishes (most of them less than 12 cm in standard length), tadpoles and macroinvertebrates (Delariva

et al., 1994; Araujo & Garutti, 2002). This fauna is strongly dependent on aquatic and

marginal vegetation for feeding, protection against predators, and aquatic organisms reproduction (Araujo & Garutti, 2003).

Information about taxonomic knowledge of macrophytes species inhabiting headwater streams is very useful because it can contribute with valuable data for the study on the structure and function of lotic ecosystems and possible interactions with fauna species. In Brazil, studies including aquatic plant species which occur in wetland areas are scarce (Hoehene, 1948; Cervi et al., 1983; Irgang et al., 1984; Scremin-Dias et al., 1999), and some are taxonomic studies in which some or all representatives are from aquatic habitat. An interesting book is worth mentioning: “Plantas do Pantanal” by Pott & Pott (2000).

No work aiming at surveying the marginal and aquatic species of angiosperm of headwater streams in the northwestern region of the State of São Paulo has been found in the literature. This work provides an inventory of angiosperm species from marginal, aquatic and adjacent vegetation of a stream located in a degraded area. Also, microhabitat information including width, depth, current velocity, and substrate was recorded.

2) Material and Methods

Study area

The field work was performed in a nameless stream situated in Engenheiro Schmidt, a district of São José do Rio Preto, State of São Paulo, 20o52’06”S - 49o16’40”W (Figure 1). It is a first order stream according to Strahler (1957), typical of plateau region, draining into a larger stream (córrego do Cedro), which is in turn a tributary of Preto River, draining into the Turvo River. The Turvo River basin is part of

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the large Grande River drainage basin, which belongs to the upper Paraná River basin.

The regional topography is gentle and the relief is undulated and relatively uniform. Total slope is relatively small, the highest altitude reaching 550 m and the lowest 350m. The soils are sandy and result from rock decomposition of Bauru Formation, with predominance of the sandy portion and a lower contribution of the finer (silt-clay) portion (Arid et al., 1970).

The original vegetation in the region of São José do Rio Preto is almost entirely restricted to the semi-deciduous marginal forests along the rivers or stream courses. A recent survey made by the Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (Department of Agriculture and Supply) of the State of São Paulo (2006) showed that the land in that region is mainly used as pastures (38.2%). The regional climate is the warm-moist tropical type (Arid et al., 1970). The mean annual temperatures are always higher than 25 ºC, whereas the mean of the coolest months (June and July) is about 20 ºC, and of the warmest months (January and February) is about 30 ºC. Annual rainfall range from 1100 to 1250 mm, with a high concentration (85%) from October to March, the rainy season, and the dry season (15%) from April to September (Arid & Barcha, 1973).

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Sample collection

For the microhabitat characterization, width and depth (measured with tape-measure), current velocity (estimated by the method of dislocation of a floating object), marginal and aquatic vegetation were recorded. Vascular plants and substrate were sampled handly and with the aid of a small spade.

The angiosperms were monthly collected at three stream segments (headwaters, middle course and mouth) from August 1999 to July 2000, except for January (Figures 2-4). Voucher specimens of each species are deposited in the Herbário SJRP of the Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Species were identified by using specialized literature and comparing them with SJRP herbarium exsiccates previously identified by a specialist, and their taxonomic classification was made according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II (APG II, 2003).

Figure 2: Stretch near the headwaters of tributary headwater stream of córrego do Cedro,

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Figure 3: Stretch near the middle course of tributary headwater stream of córrego do Cedro,

São José do Rio Preto, SP (14 Sept 1999).

Figure 4: Stretch near the mouth of tributary headwater stream of córrego do Cedro, São

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3) Results

Environmental parameters for microhabitat characterization of each stream segment sampled are summarized in Table 1. Substrate composition was predominantly sandy, followed by silt and clay in middle course and mouth in rain as much as in dry seasons. In headwaters a large increase of the sandy fraction occurred in the rain season.

The list of angiosperm species found in the tributary stream of Córrego do Cedro is presented in Table 2. Marginal vegetation in headwaters and middle course showed open areas dominated by herbaceous plants as Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Zingiberaceae, Plantaginaceae, Asteraceae, Polygonaceae, Lamiaceae, Begoniaceae, Leguminosae, Lythraceae and Commelinaceae, while near the mouth by shrubby-arboreous shaded mainly by Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae), Melastomataceae, Boraginaceae, Hydroleaceae, and Leguminosae. Aquatic vegetation in headwaters and middle course included macrophytes as Pontederiaceae (Heteranthera reniformis) and Onagraceae (Ludwigia aff.

suffruticosa, L. caparosa, L. octovalvis, L. elegans). Adjacent vegetation throughout

the stream was represented mainly by Poaceae.

Table 1: Description of environmental parameters for microhabitat characterization of each

segment of tributary headwater stream of Córrego do Cedro (H = headwaters; MC = middle course; M = mouth). Parameters H MC M Approximate length (m) 130.6 107.4 304 Width (m) 0.20 - 7.0 0.05 - 4.0 0.27 - 3.0 Depth (m) 0.05 - 0.23 0.05 - 0.45 0.04 - 0.30 Current velocity (cm s-1) 16.6 - 20 14.2 - 33.3 20 - 25

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Table 2: Angiosperm species found in the tributary a headwater stream of córrego do Cedro

from August 1999 to July 2000.

__________________________________________________________________________ Asteraceae

Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC.

Begoniaceae

Begonia semperflorens Link & Otto

Boraginaceae

Cordia guazumaefolia Roem. & Schult.

Commelinaceae undetermined Cyperaceae

Cyperus ferax L.C.Rich C. lanceolatus Poir.

C. luzulae (L.) Rottb. ex Retz. Eleocharis filiculmis Kunth Fimbristylis sp

Rhynchospora corymbosa (L.) Britton

Fabaceae Desmodium sp Mimosa sp Hydroleaceae Hydrolea spinosa L. Lamiaceae

Hyptis brevipes Poit.

Lythraceae

Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) Macbr

Melastomataceae

Acisanthera variabilis Triana Miconia albicans (Sw.) Tr.

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Rhynchanthera dichotoma (Lam.) DC.

Myrtaceae

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels

Onagraceae

Ludwigia caparosa Camb.

Ludwigia elegans (Cambess.) H. Hara Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H. Raven Ludwigia aff. suffruticosa Walter

Plantaginaceae Globifera sp Scoparia dulcis L. Poaceae Andropogon sp Pontederiaceae

Heteranthera reniformes Ruiz et Psv.

Polygonaceae

Polygonum hydropiperoides Michx.

Zingiberaceae

Hedychium coronarium Koening

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4) Discussion and Conclusion

Considering that the lack of information regarding biodiversity surveys is a great limitation for the policies oriented to the conservation programs in the Neotropical region, the results obtained in the present study could be useful because it can contribute with valuable data for the study on the angiosperm species and possible interactions with fauna species. Moreover, the importance of macrophytes species inhabiting headwater streams in the maintenance and integrity of regional biodiversity (Delariva et al., 1994; Araujo & Garutti, 2002; Araujo & Garutti, 2003) must be investigated in order to promote environmental conservation in these areas.

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5) Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), personal grant to the first author. We are grateful to Henrique F. Chaves (UNESP) for his help in the field; to Patrícia R. D. Araujo (UNIRP) for her help in the map preparation; to Joaquim Carlos and Ademir O. Veschi (UNESP) for valuable technical assistance, and Carlos Daghlian (UNESP) for reviewing of the English text.

English Review: Milena B. Meiken

6) References

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ARAUJO, R.B.; GARUTTI, V. 2003. Ecology of a stream from upper Paraná river basin inhabited by Aspidoras fuscoguttatus Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976 (Siluriformes, Callichthyidae). Brazilian Journal of Biology, 63(3):363-372.

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