Characterizes vegetation in protected areas, revealing critical preservation needs for Canga.
The rupestrian vegetation on rocky hematite outcrops in the Brazilian Amazon has the smallest geographic distribution and highest endemism in the region. This study aimed to characterize the floristic composition and vegetation structure of these formations, locally known as Canga. The floristic inventory included both natural regeneration and the tree and shrub layers. Species richness and individual abundance were significantly lower in the rupestrian fields outside protected areas. Moreover, the dominant species differed markedly between protected and unprotected sites. Species typical of well-preserved habitats within protected areas were either absent or had drastically reduced abundance outside. Plant composition was entirely different between the two settings. The observed reduction in species richness, abundance, and changes in floristic composition is likely associated with human-induced disturbances.
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Ferreira et al. (2026) studied this question.
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