Biotemas (Mar 2010)
Populational characterization of Melocactus zehntneri (Britton & Rose) Luetzelburg (Cactaceae) present in an inselberg of the Paraiban Caatinga
Abstract
Inselbergs are rocky outcrops that are characterized by the fact that they form isolated ecosystems with a high degree of endemism. However, these environments remain little studied. The present work aimed to characterize a population of Melocactus zehntneri (Britton & Rose) Luetzelburg (Cactaceae) occurring on an inselberg in the municipal district of Pocinhos, PB. Over the whole extension of the inselberg, 50 plots of 1m² were allocated. The sampled individuals were classified according to ontogenetic stadium, evaluating the number of individuals, the height, the diameter in the central section, and the number of dead. To evaluate the pattern of space distribution of the species, the Index of Dispersion of Morisita (Id) was calculated, and to verify the influence of one ontogenetic stadium on another, the coefficient of linear correlation was applied (ρ). A total of 869 individuals were sampled, of which 635 were young and 234 were adults. The value of Id was 1.28, indicating that the population distribution was clumped. The value of ρ = -0.3872 demonstrated a negative linear correlation among the ontogenetic stadiums. The accumulation of rocky sediment on some points of the inselberg certainly favored the distribution of the species on it. The population demonstrated stability, with a great number of stock individuals.
