Floristic checklist from an Atlantic Forest vegetation mosaic in Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Tabatinga, Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

A floristic inventory was made in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Tabatinga to show the importance of small forest fragments for conservation of the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest. The reserve protects a vegetation mosaic typical of coastal habitats in an area of ca. 20 ha, located in the northern part of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Samples of vascular plants were collected between January 2010 and November 2011, and altogether 329 species were recorded. These are classified in 230 genera and 79 families of angiosperms and two genera and two families of ferns. Among the species found, 28 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest, while others are rare and restricted to the Pernambuco Endemism Center. In addition, three threatened species were detected. The presence of endemic, rare, and threatened species, along with floristic patterns typical of coastal areas of Brazil, reinforce the importance of the area for the conservation.