ABSTRACT
In the high atitudes of Brazilian southeast,“ campos de altitude” are found. The physiognomy most frequent in the relatively extensive plateaus is the one of schrubs within a matrix of bunchgrasses, with sparse herbs and pteridophytes. The aims of this paper were the elaboration of a floristic checklist of vascular plants and the determination of the floristic biological spectrum of a campo de altitude located in the “Serra do Brigadeiro” State Park, Minas Gerais - Brazil. For that, field expeditions were monthly accomplished between July 2000 to January 2002. The species were classified in the life form classes of Raunkiaer, modified according to Braun-Blanquet. A chi-square test of independence was carried out to compare the biological spectrum of the studied flora with the normal spectrum of Raunkiaer. Eighty-onespecies of vascular plants were identified, and the richest family was Orchidaceae, followed by Asteraceae, both well represented in “campos de altitude”. The high number of species which are exclusive of each synusiae indicates that the same are well delimited in the local vegetation. The floristic biological spectrum showed a prevalence of hemicryptophytes followed by chamaephytes, life forms related to grassland physiognomy. The chi-square test showed that the biological spectrum of the studied vegetation differs from the normal of Rankiaer. The accomplishment of a higher number of floristic and ecological studies in campos de altitude is needed, since the lack of studies allows neither the realization of comparative studies, important to confront biogeographical relations nor foresight of their conservation status.
Key-words:
“Campos de altitude”; floristics; biological spectrum; “Serra do Brigadeiro” State Park