Edinburgh Journal of Botany

Table of Contents - 2006 - Volume 63, Issue 01  


Articles

SUCCESSIONAL CHANGES IN CERRADO AND CERRADO/FOREST ECOTONAL VEGETATION IN WESTERN SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL, 1962–2000

G. DURIGAN a1 and J. A. RATTER a2
a1 Instituto Florestal, Floresta Estadual de Assis, Caixa Postal 104, 19800-000, Assis, SP, Brazil. E-mail: giselda@femanet.com.br
a2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK. E-mail: j.ratter@rbge.org.uk

Article author query
durigan g   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
ratter ja   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Surveys over a period of 38 years have shown a rapid successional change in the remaining areas of cerrado vegetation in western São Paulo State. Cerradão (the dense, tall, forest form of cerrado (sensu lato)) and cerrado/Atlantic forest ecotonal vegetation have replaced more open forms (such as campo cerrado) during this period. An aerial photographic survey in 1962 showed 75% cerrado (sensu stricto), 16% campo cerrado, and only 9% cerradão, while a survey combining Landsat imaging of 1992 with aerial photography of 1984 gave 69%, 0.6%, and 30.5% respectively for the same physiognomies. Visiting 10% of the sites of the latter survey in 2000 showed that cerradão had become the dominant vegetation of 68% of them. In a particular 180 ha site in Assis municipality, cerradão increased from 12.0 to 41.4% of the area in 22 years. Reduction of anthropic pressures, such as fire and cattle-grazing, is considered responsible for these rapid changes. Conservation issues and research priorities related to these changes are discussed and proposed.

(Published Online August 4 2006)
(Received May 17 2005)
(Accepted April 24 2006)


Key Words: Atlantic forest; cerrado; dynamics; ecotonal vegetation; neotropical savanna.