Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomic Paper
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Corresponding author: Flavio Fonseca do Carmo (carmo.flaviof@gmail.com)
Academic editor: Luis Cayuela
Received: 28 May 2018 | Accepted: 10 Jul 2018 | Published: 12 Jul 2018
© 2018 Flavio Carmo, Rubens da Mota, Luciana Kamino, Claudia Jacobi
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Carmo F, da Mota R, Kamino L, Jacobi C (2018) Check-list of vascular plant communities on ironstone ranges of south-eastern Brazil: dataset for conservation. Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e27032. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.6.e27032
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Ironstone ranges are considered hotspots for higher plants α and β diversity. The lack of studies and the intense degradation of the ironstone ranges, due to mining, motivated us to compile, for the first time, a list of vascular plants collected on iron-rich derived substrates from ancient landscape of south-eastern Brazil. All existing records in the Brazilian Virtual Herbarium of Flora and Fungi for each of the 43 municipalities containing ironstone ranges were downloaded, resulting in 17,954 vouchers identified to the species level. We found 2,933 species belonging to 160 families and 818 genera.
For the first time, we identified 148 species mentioned in endangered flora official lists and 48 narrow endemic species. Collecting efforts must still be supported to properly sample the vegetation since, for 143 sites, less than 10 records/site were found. This dataset will assist with the indication of dozens of plant species whose threat criteria must be urgently assessed to subsidise public policies on the use and conservation of the Brazilian flora.
canga, collection gaps, endemic plants, metallophytes
Ironstone ranges occur mainly in Brazil, Australia, South Africa and India and are predominantly comprised of rock blocks of banded iron formations - BIF - from the Archean and Paleoproterozoic ages (
In Brazil, covering the highest parts of iron mountains and, therefore, with even more restricted insular distribution, there are duricrusts known as cangas. These duricrusts originated from the intense weathering of BIF rock blocks and other lithotypes with high metal content. Some canga outcrops can be about 20-30 m thick, with records of origin that started at ca. 50 Ma, thus representing one of the oldest landscapes in Brazil (
Plants in ironstone ranges are frequently subjected to abiotic stressors such as acid substrates, daily temperature variation, very shallow soils with reduced water availabilityand anomalous metal contents. In sites characterised by substrates (rock and soil) with natural anomalous metal contents, outstanding plant communities can be found, called metallophytes, which are able to tolerate metal toxicity (
In some Brazilian ironstone ranges, the mineralogical constitution of the rock outcrops can reach 90% of iron oxides – haematite Fe2O3 – and hydroxides – limonite FeO(OH).nH2O, in addition to high manganese and aluminium contents (
Intense loss and degradation of areas in ironstone ranges are associated with the exploitation of natural resources, since they are home to the largest global reserves of iron ore, in addition to manganese and bauxite (aluminium). This geo-economical peculiarity favours a concentration of megastructures for ore extraction, generating an enormous environmental liability (
In view of the lack of studies and rapid degradation of these unique ecosystems, the purpose of this study was to assemble, for the first time, a list of vascular plants collected on Fe-rich derived substrates from ancient ironstone ranges in south-eastern Brazil, updating their taxonomic nomenclature, indicating life forms and highlighting endemic taxa and threat categories. Additionally, we identified the main vegetation types and highlighted locations where inventory efforts must be encouraged.
In south-eastern Brazil, ironstone ranges spread non-continuously over a 500 km-long north-south axis, in 43 municipalities distributed over three mineral provinces: Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF) in the south; Serra da Serpentina-Morro do Pilar region (SS-MP) at the centre; and the Peixe Bravo River Valley region (VPB) in the north (Fig.
In the QF and SS-MP ironstone ranges, there is a prevalence of the subtropical highland climate (Cwb) according to Köppen’s classification, characterised by dry winters and rainy summers (
Physical and geographical variables of ironstone ranges in south-eastern Brazil. QF: Quadrilátero Ferrífero; SS-MP: Serra da Serpentina-Morro do Pilar; VPB: Vale do Rio Peixe Bravo.
Ironstone Ranges |
Geological Group (age) |
Maximum elevation |
Yearly rainfall average |
Original Area |
Drainage Basin |
QF |
Itabira/Cauê Formation (Paleoproterozoic) |
1,800 m |
1,400 mm |
980 km2 |
São Francisco and Doce Rivers |
SS-MP |
Serra da Serpentina (Paleoproterozoic) |
1,100 m |
1,400 mm |
250 km2 |
Doce River |
VPB |
Macaúbas, Nova Aurora Formation/Membro Riacho Poções (Neoproterozoic) |
1,000 m |
800 mm |
350 km2 |
Jequitinhonha and Pardo Rivers |
A peculiar feature of these ironstone ranges is the high physical heterogeneity, represented by regolithic materials and various types of outcrops (Fig.
All existing records in the Virtual Herbarium of Flora and Fungi (
The checklist of vascular plants in the ironstone ranges was composed by both native and naturalised plants and included only records identified to the species level. The current accepted nomenclature followed the List of Species of the Brazilian Flora (
We analysed the life form spectra based on five categories: trees, shrubs, subshrubs, lianas/vines and herbs, according to
Using voucher information, taxa were organised under three phytophysiognomies (sensu
Complementary records and refined information on the sites of occurrence of the taxa, including cases of restricted endemicity, follow the list of studies presented in Suppl. material
We found 17,954 records (vouchers) identified to the species level, originating predominantly from specimens collected in the QF ironstone ranges (93%), followed by samples from SS-MP (4%) and VPB (3%), see Fig.
The oldest records are from 1814, 1817 and 1824, collected by German naturalists Friedrich Sellow, Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius and Ludwig Riedel. The years with the highest number of samples were (Fig.
Of the 43 municipalities that contain ironstone ranges, only seven had more than 1,000 records each, all located in the QF. On the other hand, 11 municipalities had less than 10 records each and five of them had no vouchers. Of the 206 sites associated to Fe-enriched derived substrates, 10 alone concentrate 71% (12,515) of all vouchers (Table
Ten sites associated to ironstone ranges that concentrated the largest number of vouchers.
Sites |
Coordinates |
Vouchers |
Serra da Piedade |
|
3,407 |
Serra do Curral |
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1,761 |
Serra do Antônio Pereira |
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1,495 |
Serra da Calçada |
|
1,403 |
Serra do Rola Moça |
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1,062 |
Serra de Itabirito |
|
851 |
Serra da Moeda |
|
750 |
Serra do Gandarela |
|
742 |
Capão Xavier mining complex |
|
544 |
Capitão do Mato Mining complex |
|
500 |
A total of 2,979 taxa were compiled, of which six were at the subspecies and 40 at the variety levels. Angiospermae accounted for 92% (2,737) of taxa, Monilophyta for 223 (7%), Lycophyta for 18 (0.6%) taxa and only one corresponds to Gimnospermae (Suppl. material
The 160 botanic families found account for 58% that occur in Brazil and 44 were represented by a single taxon. The 10 most representative families grouped 1,538 taxa (52% of the total): Asteraceae (387), Fabaceae (230), Poaceae (187), Orchidaceae (174), Melastomataceae (152), Rubiaceae (101), Cyperaceae and Myrtaceae (85 each), Apocynaceae (78) and Malpighiaceae (59).
The 818 genera account for 26% that occur in Brazil, of which 374 were represented by a single taxon. The 10 most representative grouped 358 taxa (12% of the total): Mikania (42), Paspalum (41), Solanum (40), Paepalanthus (39), Baccharis and Miconia (35 each), Chamaecrista (34), Myrcia (33), Leandra (30) and Lessingianthus (29).
The life forms (Fig.
Most taxa (1,436 or 48%) were concentrated on grassland physiognomies. The open vegetation, formed by plant communities associated with canga and BIF outcrops, was dominated by subshrubs and shrubs of Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Malphigiaceae, Melastomataceae, Velloziaceae and Verbenaceae. Common morphological features amongst several species were observed, such as microphily or coriaceous leaves and ericoid or imbricate phyllotaxis. Clones of desiccation-tolerant plants also occur, mainly of the genera Trilepis and Vellozia. In the substrate composed of regolithic materials (shallow, gravelly soils or small fragments of BIF and canga), the physiognomy was predominantly represented by graminoid herbs (such as Cyperaceae and Poaceae) and sclerophytic shrubs. In a lesser proportion, we also found communities associated with bogs and ponds, dominated by graminoid herbs of Cyperaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Poaceae and Xyridaceae.
We found 735 taxa (25%) in forest physiognomies. These included “vegetation islands” known as capões, developing on the organic material deposited in large fractures, depressions or caves in iron formations. Forest formations also occur along the drainage of the colluvial ramps and on the margins of waterways, places where the soil becomes less shallow and wetter. Arboreal and shrub species of Fabaceae, Lauraceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae and Solanaceae are frequent. In the understorey, many Monilophyta, Lycophyta, Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae and Piperaceae are found, as well as lianas/vines of Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae and Dioscoreaceae.
The recorded species number was low in savanna formations, as a result of fewer collections in these formations, particularly at VPB. In the Carrasco physiognomy, there is a prevalence of xeromorphic scrubs and deciduous trees of Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Salicaceae, in addition to columnar cacti (Cereus and Pilosocereus) that also occur in the Caatinga. The Cerrado occurs associated with ferruginous rock blocks/boulders found on slopes and at the top of some plateaus, with the shrub layer comprised of Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Calophyllaceae, Fabaceae, Lythraceae, Rubiaceae and Vochysiaceae. The herbaceous layer is also very developed and Apocynaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae species prevail. In addition, 645 taxa (21%) were collected in more than one physiognomy. Examples of some phytophysiognomies can be observed in Fig.
The ironstone ranges hold exclusive records of 48 species (Table
We found 148 species included in official lists of endangered flora (Suppl. material
List of 48 narrow endemic species in ironstone ranges, south-eastern Brazil. Red List - BR (Brazil 2014) and MG (Minas Gerais 1997): VU: Vulnerable; EN: Endangered; CR: Critically Endangered; EX: Extinct. Life form: shr. (shrub), her. (herbaceous), sub. (subshrub), li. (lianas/vines). Region of occurrence: QF (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), SS-MP (Serra da Serpentina-Morro do Pilar). See references in Suppl. material
Family/Species |
Red List |
Life form |
Region |
Notes |
|
BR |
MG |
||||
Acanthaceae Staurogyne warmingiana (Hiern) Leonard |
EN |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Apocynaceae Minaria monocoronata (Rapini) T.U.P. Konno & Rapini |
CR |
- |
sub. |
QF |
Only known from two localities. Probably extinct in the wild due to the large number of iron-mining activities (Rapini 2012). |
Asteraceae Mikania badiniana G.S.S. Almeida & Carv-Okano |
- |
- |
sub. |
QF |
Only known from the type locality (Almeida and Carvalho-Okano 2010). |
Bromeliaceae Cryptanthus ferrarius Leme & C.C.Paula |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
The main population will be extinct in a few years due to the large number of iron-mining activities (Leme and Paula 2009). |
Dyckia conceicionensis O.B.C. Ribeiro & Leme |
- |
- |
her. |
SS/MP |
Only known from the type locality (Ribeiro and Leme 2015). |
Dyckia consimilis Mez |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Dyckia densiflora Schult. & Schult.f. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Dyckia elata Mez |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Dyckia ferrisincola O.B.C. Ribeiro & Leme |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from the type locality (Ribeiro and Leme 2015). |
Dyckia incana O.B.C. Ribeiro & Leme |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from the type locality (Ribeiro and Leme 2015). |
Dyckia inflexifolia E.A.E. Guarçoni & M.A. Sartori |
- |
- |
her. |
SS/MP |
Only known from the type locality (Guarçoni et al. 2012). |
Dyckia rariflora Schult. & Schult.f. |
EN |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Dyckia schwackeana Mez |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Dyckia simulans L.B.Sm. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Vriesea longistaminea C.C.Paula & Leme |
CR |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from the type locality (Leme and Paula 2004). |
Vriesea minarum L.B.Sm. |
EN |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Cactaceae Arthrocereus glaziovii (K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor & Zappi |
EN |
VU |
sub. |
QF |
|
Caryophyllaceae Paronychia fasciculata Chaudhri |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Convolvulaceae Jacquemontia linarioides Meisn. |
- |
- |
li. |
QF |
|
Eriocaulaceae Paepalanthus amoenus (Bong.) Körn. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Paepalanthus argillicola Silveira |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from type material (Echternacht et al. 2012), described almost 100 years ago. Probably extinct in the wild. |
Paepalanthus batatalensis Silveira |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from type material (Echternacht et al. 2012), described almost 100 years ago. Probably extinct in the wild. |
Paepalanthus gomesii Silveira |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from type material (Giulietti et al. 2009). Probably extinct in the wild. |
Paepalanthus moedensis Silveira |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from type material (Echternacht et al. 2012), described almost 100 years ago. Probably extinct in the wild. |
Paepalanthus pallidus Silveira |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
Only known from material type (Echternacht et al. 2012), described almost 100 years ago. Probably extinct in the wild. |
Euphorbiaceae Croton serratoideus Radcl.-Sm. & Govaerts |
- |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Fabaceae Chamaecrista itabiritoana (H.S.Irwin & Barneby) H.S.Irwin & Barneby |
- |
- |
shr. |
QF |
|
Chamaecrista secunda (Benth.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby |
- |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Lupinus laevigatus Benth. |
EN |
EN |
sub. |
QF |
Currently, known from small populations in the Serra do Rola Moça. |
Mimosa calodendron Mart. ex Benth. |
- |
- |
shr. |
QF |
|
Mimosa multiplex Benth. |
- |
- |
shr. |
QF |
Only known from the two type localities (Dutra and Garcia 2014). |
Mimosa pogocephala Benth. |
- |
- |
shr. |
QF |
|
Gesneriaceae Sinningia rupicola (Mart.) Wiehler |
EN |
VU |
her. |
QF |
|
Lauraceae Cinnamomum quadrangulum Kosterm. |
VU |
VU |
shr. |
QF |
|
Melastomataceae Microlicia formosa Cham. |
- |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Microlicia cuspidifolia Mart. ex Naudin |
CR |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Pleroma ferricola A.L.F.Oliveira, R.Romero & P.J.F.Guim. |
- |
- |
sub. |
QF |
|
Trembleya rosmarinoides DC. |
- |
- |
shr. |
QF |
|
Orchidaceae Cattleya milleri (Blumensch. ex Pabst) Van den Berg |
CR |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Gomesa gracilis (Lindl.) M.W. Chase & N.H.Williams |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Poaceae Paspalum brachytrichum Hack. |
- |
CR |
her. |
QF |
|
Simaroubaceae Simaba suaveolens A.St.-Hil. |
CR |
EX |
shr. |
QF |
Only known from type material described in 1823 (Pirani 2009). Probably extinct in the wild. |
Velloziaceae Barbacenia cyananthera L.B.Sm. & Ayensu |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Barbacenia itabirensis Goethart & Henrard |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Barbacenia rubra L.B.Sm. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Barbacenia williamsii L.B.Sm. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Vellozia sellowii Seub. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
|
Xyridaceae Xyris villosicarinata Kral & Wand. |
- |
- |
her. |
QF |
The ironstone ranges in south-eastern Brazil stand out as areas of great value for the conservation of plant diversity. In a very restricted total area - less than 0.02% of the Brazilian territory - 2,933 species collected from Fe-rich substrates have been recorded so far. Although incomplete, this dataset already corresponds to 8% of all vascular plants occurring in the country, currently estimated at 34,475 (
In the SS-MP and the VPB regions (see Fig.
The phytogeographical context also favoured the high floristic diversity. The ironstone ranges in southeast Brazil receive influence from elements in the Atlantic Forest, Cerradoand Caatinga domains (see Fig.
A peculiar feature in iron-rich regions is the presence of plant communities characterised by species with remarkable ecological value due to their adaptation to metal substrates. In the ironstone ranges, some metalliferous ecotypes (sensu
Within a global context, the α-diversity (2,933 spp.) and number of narrow endemic species (48 spp.) found in the ironstones of south-eastern Brazil have more representative values than those known for plant diversity hotspots in other metallicolous floras. In Australia, 44 species are known whose distribution is restricted to, or centred on, ironstones (BIF) located in Yilgarn and 20 endemic species to Pilbara Ranges. Together, these sites contain about 1,300 inventoried species (
Conservation planning and the creation of public policies adequate for the rational use of natural resources in the ironstone ranges are increasingly more urgent. We identified 2,259 records (13% of the total), distributed amongst 27 sites, directly associated with mining complexes. Some type-sites have already been completely destroyed due to iron ore extraction, such as Cauê Peak (
Attributes such as rarity and endemicity were observed, with several taxa under-represented in herbaria, some only by type-material collected over a century ago. With several species mentioned in the Catalog of Rare Brazilian Plants (
Therefore, the present database will assist with the indication of dozens of species whose threat criteria must be urgently assessed. These actions are essential because “Red Lists” are internationally recognised as a tool for defining the conservation status of species and populations. They are essential for subsidising environmental public policies and decision-making concerning the use, planning and conservation of natural resources (
We are thankful to reviewers (S. Ribeiro-Silva, R. Imbrozio and E. Weber) for the valuable suggestions; CMJ was supported by research productivity grant 305403/2013-3 from CNPq.
FFC and RCM collected and identified part of the material. FFC, RCM, LHYK and CMJ analysed data and elaborated the manuscript.
The List contains references of the studies with complementary records and information on the sites of occurrence of the taxa, including cases of restricted endemicity in the ironstone ranges of south-eastern Brazil.
List of 17.954 vouchers identified to the species levels, predominantly from specimens collected in the ironstone ranges of south-eastern Brazil: Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF); Serra da Serpentina-Morro do Pilar region (SS-MP); and the Peixe Bravo River Valley region (VPB).
List containing 2,979 taxa observed in the ironstone ranges of south-eastern Brazil, highlighting species included in official lists of endangered flora.