Open-access Updated list of long-term monitored tree species in a forest with high diversity and endemism in the highlands of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Lista atualizada das espécies arbóreas monitoradas a longo prazo em uma floresta com alta diversidade e endemismo nas serras do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to update the list of tree species monitored in an undisturbed forest at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station (SLBS), in the highlands of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. At this site, trees and palms with a DBH ≥ 6.4 cm have been monitored by surveying permanent plots totaling 1.02 ha. Surveys were carried out in 1992–1993 (S1), 2003–2004 (S2), and 2017–2018 (S3), recording high levels of species richness and diversity. We also aimed to identify the threatened species among those monitored, present more accurate values for diversity measures, and compare species diversity across the different surveys. The study was supported by the speciesLink, Jabot, and Flora e Funga do Brasil databases and involved searching for updates on species determinations of 1,233 vouchers from 17 herbaria; updating synonyms and circumscriptions of families and genera; reviewing determinations by examining vouchers in person or through high-resolution images; and adjusting voucher arrangements into morphospecies. We compiled the threat categories of species from the list of threatened species in the state of Espírito Santo, the CNCFlora red list, and the IUCN red list. Richness (number of species), the Shannon diversity index (Hʹ), and Pielou’s evenness (J) for each survey were calculated from a species-based abundance matrix. The updated list includes 386 species, 168 genera, and 69 families. Myrtaceae (75), Lauraceae (46), Fabaceae (31), Sapotaceae (25), and Melastomataceae (22) were the richest families. Despite progress in resolving determination issues, 44 morphospecies remained unidentified, 24 of which lack fertile vouchers available for taxonomic evaluation. Richness, diversity, and evenness in each survey were as follows: 365 species, Hʹ = 5.23, and J = 0.89 in S1; 363 species, Hʹ = 5.18, and J = 0.88 in S2; and 358 species, Hʹ = 5.18, and J = 0.88 in S3. Diversity remained high over time, with variation among surveys not being significant. We identified that 88 species (about 23% of the total) were assigned to a threat category in at least one of the consulted lists of threatened species. Surprisingly, 34 new species have been described from vouchers collected at SLBS plots, most of which have been recognized as endemic to the highlands of Espírito Santo. Data highlight SLBS as a refuge for endemic and threatened species in a region officially recognized as of very high priority for conservation.

Keywords  floristic richness ; tree diversity ; Atlantic Forest ; biodiversity monitoring ; threatened species

Resumo

O principal propósito deste estudo foi atualizar a lista de espécies arbóreas monitoradas em uma floresta sem distúrbios na Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia (SLBS), nas serras do Espírito Santo, sudeste do Brasil. Nesse local, árvores e palmeiras com um DAP ≥ 6,4 cm foram monitoradas por meio de inventários em parcelas permanentes totalizando 1,02 ha. Os inventários foram realizados em 1992–1993 (S1), 2003–2004 (S2) e 2017–2018 (S3), registrando altos níveis de riqueza e diversidade de espécies. Também objetivamos identificar as espécies ameaçadas entre aquelas monitoradas, apresentar valores mais precisos para medidas de diversidade e comparar a diversidade de espécies entre os diferentes inventários. O estudo foi apoiado pelas bases de dados speciesLink, Jabot e Flora e Funga do Brasil e envolveu a busca por atualizações nas determinações de 1.233 espécimes de 17 herbários; atualização de sinônimos e circunscrições de famílias e gêneros; revisão de determinações através da análise dos espécimes pessoalmente ou por meio de imagens de alta resolução; e ajuste dos arranjos de espécimes em morfoespécies. Compilamos as categorias de ameaça a partir da lista de espécies ameaçadas do estado de Espírito Santo, da lista vermelha CNCFlora e da lista vermelha da IUCN. Riqueza (número de espécies), índice de diversidade de Shannon (Hʹ) e equabilidade de Pielou (J) foram calculados para cada inventário a partir da matriz de abundância por espécies. A lista atualizada inclui 386 espécies, 168 gêneros e 69 famílias. Myrtaceae (75), Lauraceae (46), Fabaceae (31), Sapotaceae (25) e Melastomataceae (22) foram as famílias mais ricas. Apesar dos avanços na resolução das determinações, 44 morfoespécies permaneceram não identificadas, 24 delas sem espécimes férteis disponíveis para avaliação taxonômica. Riqueza, diversidade e equabilidade em cada inventário foram: 365 espécies, Hʹ = 5,23 e J = 0,89 em S1; 363 espécies, Hʹ = 5,18 e J = 0,88 em S2; e 358 espécies, Hʹ = 5,18 e J = 0,88 em S3. A diversidade se manteve alta no tempo, com variações não significativas entre inventários. Identificamos que 88 espécies (cerca de 23% do total) estavam atribuídas a alguma categoria de ameaça em pelo menos uma das listas de espécies ameaçadas consultadas. Surpreendentemente, 34 espécies novas foram descritas com espécimes coletados nas parcelas da SLBS, a maioria delas reconhecidas como endêmicas das serras do Espírito Santo. Os dados destacam a SLBS como um refúgio para espécies endêmicas e ameaçadas em uma região oficialmente reconhecida como de alta prioridade para conservação.

Palavras-chave  riqueza florística ; diversidade arbórea ; Mata Atlântica ; monitoramento da biodiversidade ; espécies ameaçadas

Introduction

Long-term biodiversity monitoring is a key strategy for generating data for conservation management and is now recognized as a priority by intergovernmental panels (Draper et al. 2020, Dalton et al. 2023). In tropical regions; however, biodiversity monitoring presents some challenges. First, tropical regions are recognized for their high species richness, resulting in a considerable number of species that need to be identified and monitored (Draper et al. 2020, Stropp et al. 2022). Second, there are gaps in taxonomic knowledge, as many species in these regions remain undescribed (Dexter et al. 2010, Joppa et al. 2011), and the complexity of both intra- and interspecific morphological variation can occasionally lead to species misidentification or underlying uncertainties (Dexter et al. 2010, Draper et al. 2020, Stropp et al. 2022). Third, data collection in the field is often time-consuming and physically exhausting due to heat, humidity, and dense vegetation (Jermy & Chapman 2002). With regard to plant monitoring, risky tree climbing is usually required to gain access to the canopy and obtain voucher collections of trees and another life forms (Castilho et al. 2006).

In the Atlantic Forest, the most species-rich biogeographic domain for plants in Brazil (BFG 2022), the monitoring of plant species has been more commonly conducted in tree components (including palms) through successive surveys in permanent plots (see, for example, Saiter et al. 2011, Rolim et al. 2017, Maia et al. 2020, Rocha et al. 2020). In permanent plots, trees are tagged and identified with codes to facilitate the periodic collection of essential population data for studies on forest dynamics, such as diameter at breast height (DBH), height, survival, recruitment, and mortality (Saiter et al. 2011, Rolim et al. 2017).

In the highlands of the state of Espírito Santo, a region located in the central part of the Atlantic Forest, efforts for the monitoring of tree species have been underway since the 1990s at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station (SLBS, Saiter & Thomaz 2014). Three surveys of trees and palms (DBH ≥ 6.4 cm) were conducted there using permanent plots. The first survey took place between 1992 and 1993 (Thomaz & Monteiro 1997), the second between 2003 and 2004 (Saiter et al. 2011), and the third between 2017 and 2018 (E. F. Oza, unpublished data).

Despite some uncertainty caused by insufficient taxonomic knowledge and scarcity of fertile vouchers for some morphospecies, such monitoring has revealed that approximately 380 tree species may occur within just one hectare of the magnificent evergreen forest covering the Timbuí River valley (Saiter et al. 2011, Saiter & Thomaz 2014). Additionally, about 7% of these species have been recognized as regionally endemic (Saiter et al. 2011), and very high values of Shannon diversity index ( > 5.2) have been reported for trees (Saiter et al. 2011). These characteristics have placed SLBS in the spotlight as one of the most plant-diverse and endemically rich sites in Brazil (Joly et al. 2014, Rolim et al. 2016, Garbin et al. 2017).

More than 30 years after monitoring begun, recent advances in knowledge about the flora of the highlands of Espírito Santo — stemming from updates of taxonomic studies (e.g., Baitello & Quinet 2015, Sobral et al. 2017, Caddah & Meirelles 2018, Mônico & Alves-Araujo 2019, Lírio et al. 2021) and herbarium collections (i.e., through an increase in the number of vouchers from the region) — have provided an opportunity to revisit the floristic data from the permanent plots of SLBS. Fortunately, we had the convenience of online databases on Brazilian biodiversity, which, due to constant improvement, offer a substantial number of high-resolution voucher images and allow for the remote study of collections.

Thus, the aims of this study were to update the list of tree species monitored over three decades in the permanent plots of SLBS, identify threatened species among them, provide more accurate values of species diversity and evenness, and compare species diversity among surveys. We expect that this new and more comprehensive reference will serve to increase the reliability and utility of data from the ongoing forest monitoring.

Materials and Methods

1.

Study area

SLBS is a research station (not categorized within the National System of Nature Conservation Units of Brazil) that is managed by the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), an agency of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the Museu Nacional, an institution affiliated with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. It encompasses 467.89 ha and includes part of the Timbuí River valley in Valsugana Velha, within the municipality of Santa Teresa, in the highlands of the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil (19º57ʹ12"–19º59ʹ10" S; 40º31ʹ13"–40º32ʹ32" W; Figure 1). The climate at SLBS is of Cfa type (hot summer without dry season) according to the Köeppen’s climate classification map for Brazil (Alvares et al. 2013). The average annual temperature is 20 °C, and the average annual precipitation is 1,868 mm (Mendes & Padovan 2000). Elevation varies from 600 to 900 m.a.s.l. in a hilly terrain. The prevailing soils at SLBS are shallow, dystrophic, acidic, with high aluminum levels and low base saturation (Thomaz & Monteiro 1997). The typical phytophysiognomy in the region is classified as Floresta Ombrófila Densa Montana (500–1,500 m.a.s.l.) according to IBGE (2012), or alternatively as Tropical Broadleaved Rain Forest on Lower Highlands (600–1,000 m.a.s.l., sensuOliveira-Filho 2009).

Figure 1
Study area. (A) Location map of the Santa Lúcia Biological Station within the municipality of Santa Teresa, in the highlands of Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil. Permanent forest plots are organized into three transects: bottom valley (650–660 m.a.s.l.), mid-slope (675–700 m.a.s.l.), and hilltop (820–855 m.a.s.l.). (B) Waterfalls on the Timbuí River. (C) Overview of the evergreen forest on the slope along the right bank of the Timbuí River.
2.

Sampling design and surveys

The permanent forest plots of SLBS have been established since 1992 in an undisturbed forest on the slope at the right bank of the Timbuí River (Thomaz & Monteiro 1997). The initial study performed by Thomaz & Monteiro (1997) aimed to analyze differences in forest structure and diversity among three distinct topographic sectors (see Figure 1): bottom valley (650–660 m.a.s.l.), mid-slope (675–700 m.a.s.l.), and hilltop (820–855 m.a.s.l.). Therefore, plots were organized into three transects with 0.34 ha, totaling 1.02 ha of sample area. In this sampling design, each transect would have 34 contiguous 100 m² square plots (340 × 10 m). However, the presence of a dense Merostachys fischeriana Rupr. ex Döll. (a native, thin bamboo species) stand at the bottom valley sector led the transect to be divided into two segments (with 100 and 240 m, respectively), which are separated by a distance of about 100 m.

In transects, all trees and palms with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 6.4 cm were marked with numbered tags, their diameters were measured, and their heights were estimated in the 1992–1993 survey (S1). Then, all surviving trees were remeasured in subsequent surveys (S2, in 2003–2004, and S3, in 2017–2018). The recruited trees (i.e., those that reached 6.4 cm in DBH through growth) were properly included (tagged and measured) in the monitoring.

Here, we consolidated the three transects into a single plot, as previously done in studies on floristics and dynamics of the SLBS forest (Saiter et al. 2011, Saiter & Thomaz 2014). This approach was supported by the close proximity and small elevational differences among transects, as well as the high similarity in their soil features, species richness, and species composition (Saiter et al. 2011).

3.

Update procedures and threatened species

The update had deadline of May 2024 and involved four procedures: [a] searching for updates made by taxonomists on voucher determinations; [b] updating synonyms and circumscriptions of families and genera; [c] reviewing species determinations by examining vouchers; [d] adjusting voucher arrangements into morphospecies.

To do this, we examined vouchers in person at the MBML and VIES herbaria, and also checked the metadata and voucher images from the speciesLink Network (CRIA [continuously updated]) and Jabot – Banco de Dados da Flora Brasileira (JBRJ [continuously updated]) when available. We first searched for vouchers from SLBS directly in those databases using the collector numbers from S1 and S2 listed by Saiter & Thomaz (2014) one by one. Additional vouchers were searched using the following terms as filters: Espírito Santo (as state or province), Santa Teresa (as municipality), and Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, or alternatively, Valsugana Velha (as locality). In total, we analyzed 1,233 vouchers from 17 herbaria (MBML, VIES, RB, SPF, UEC, MO, SPSF, HRCB, RFA, UPCB, ESA, SP, K, NY, CEPEC, IAC, and US; Acronyms according to Thiers et al. [continuously updated]).

We adopted family circumscriptions according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV (APG IV 2016) and the correct names of genera and species according to the monographs of the Flora e Funga do Brasil [continuously updated] database. We verified names of genera and species using the ‘get.taxa’ function of the ‘flora’ package v0.3.4 (Carvalho 2022) in R (R Core Team 2022).

Then, we organized the species into a table, adopting alphabetical order for families, genera, and specific epithets. We also indicated the threat categories (critically endangered, CR; endangered, EN; and vulnerable, VU) of species listed on the list of threatened fauna and flora in the state of Espírito Santo according to Fraga et al. (2019), the CNCFlora Red List (CNCFlora 2023), and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2024).

4.

Richness, diversity and evenness across surveys

As studies based on the datasets from S1 (Thomaz & Monteiro 1997), S2 (Saiter et al. 2011), and S3 (Oza, unpublished data) revealed levels of diversity that rank among the highest in Brazil, we recognized the need to also update the richness (number of species), Shannon diversity index (), and Pielou’s evenness (J) (Magurran 1988) for each survey. To achieve this, we used the updated species list to revise the species names across the entire dataset (S1, S2, and S3), and then created a species-based abundance matrix with species in columns and abundances for each survey in rows. We applied this species-based abundance matrix to calculate richness, , and J using the ‘specnumber’ and ‘diversity’ functions from the ‘vegan’ package v2.6-4 (Oksanen et al. 2024) in R (R Core Team 2022). We also checked the pairwise differences between Hʹ values using the ‘Hutcheson_t_test’ function from the ‘ecolTest’ package v0.0.1 in R (Salinas & Ramirez-Delgado 2022), which performs the Hutcheson’s t-test (Hutcheson 1970). We adopted the Bonferroni correction (p < 0.0167) in order to reduce the type I error (i.e., finding significant difference when there indeed was no difference) in the multiple Hutcheson’s t-tests.

Results and Discussion

Table 1 shows the updated list of tree species monitored in permanent SLBS plots. Along three surveys, 386 species have been recorded, of which 44 remain as unidentified morphospecies (24 are not yet represented by a fertile voucher; see the ‘phenological stage’ column in Table 1). Such a set of species comprises a total of 69 families and 168 genera. The top five families in terms of number of species (Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, and Melastomataceae) encompass slightly more than half of the total species (see Figure 2). These families have often been indicated by floristic studies as among the richest in the tree stratum of highland forests (> 600 m.a.s.l.) on the eastern Brazilian coast (see Amorim et al. 2009, Thomas et al. 2009, Joly et al. 2012). However, we emphasize that the levels of species richness of Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, and Sapotaceae recorded here are unusual for a sample area of about 1 ha in the Atlantic Forest. As references, Araújo et al. (2021) recorded 30 species of both Lauraceae and Myrtaceae, and only one species of Sapotaceae using the walk-over survey method in highland rainforests along an elevation gradient (900–1,600 m.a.s.l.) at the Caparaó National Park, in southern Espírito Santo; Amorim et al. (2009) recorded 29 tree species of Lauraceae, 47 of Myrtaceae, and 13 of Sapotaceae in three rainforests ranging from 300 to 1080 m.a.s.l. in southern Bahia; and Thomas et al. (2009) recorded 12, 31, and 22 tree species of Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Sapotaceae, respectively, in plots totaling 1 ha that were arranged along an elevation gradient (350–750 m.a.s.l.) with seasonal and rain forests in the Serra da Ouricana, Bahia. Similarly, Joly et al. (2012) recorded 26 tree species of Lauraceae and 49 of Myrtaceae (Sapotaceae richness not reported) in a 1-ha forest plot at 1050–1100 m.a.s.l. in the rainforest of Serra do Mar, São Paulo.

Table 1
Long-term monitored tree species in permanent plots at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station, highlands of Espírito Santo, Brazil. CS, conservation status according to (a) Fraga et al. (2019), (b) CNCFlora (2023), and (c) IUCN (2024); PS, voucher phenological stages; AbS1, abundance in the first survey (1992–1993); AbS2, abundance in the second survey (2003–2004); AbS3, abundance in the third survey (2017–2018); Herbarium acronyms according to Thiers et al. [continuously updated].
Figure 2
Number of tree species by botanical families in the entire dataset from three subsequent surveys of trees (1992–1993, 2003–2004, and 2017–2018) using permanent forest plots at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station, highlands of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

The detailed verification of the arrangement of morphospecies was important to unveil misidentifications that were overlooked in previous studies. We identified two main types of misidentifications: (1) vouchers of a single species were incorrectly identified as several species; and (2) two or more morphospecies were incorrectly identified as one single species. These are prevalent errors in surveys of tropical tree communities, which can inflate the number of ‘rare’ and ‘common’ species, respectively (Dexter et al. 2010).

For example, in the first type of error, vouchers previously identified as Mollinedia stenophylla Perkins and Mollinedia aff. engleriana Perkins were recognized by Lírio et al. (2021) as belonging to the same new species, Mollinedia ruschii Lirio & Peixoto. The rearrangement of vouchers into Myrcia plusiantha Kiaersk., in turn, led to the removal of three undetermined morphospecies from the list. Sterile vouchers of these morphospecies were kept in the herbarium with incomplete names of three different genera (Calyptranthes sp., Marlierea sp., and Myrcia sp.) due to supposed differences in leaf characteristics. However, such differences seemed to be gradual when the entire set of vouchers was analyzed, including some collected outside the SLBS and with determination confirmed by taxonomists. Conversely, we observed examples of the second type of error in vouchers of Miconia budlejoides Triana that were segregated between Miconia formosa Cogn. and Miconia goldenbergiana Caddah, the latter being a recently described new species (Caddah & Meirelles 2018). We also segregated the vouchers of Myrcia morroqueimadensis Kiaersk among those of one of the undetermined morphospecies characterized as Myrcia sp.

It was a positive surprise the fact that since the first survey, 34 new tree species have been described with the support of vouchers collected in the permanent plots or in their vicinities within the SLBS (see Table 2). Species described with the support of vouchers from other forest sites in the region of Santa Teresa were also recorded in plots. This applies to Humiriastrum spiritu-sancti Cuatrec., Ixora grazielae Di Maio & Peixoto, Myrcia crassa Sobral, Sloanea fasciculata D. Sampaio & Souza, and Williamodendron cinnamomeum van der Werff. As many of these new species occur exclusively in the highlands of Espírito Santo, this work emphasizes the high levels of endemism in the region, as reported in other studies (e.g. Werneck et al. 2011, Araújo et al. 2021).

Table 2
Thirty-four tree species described from vouchers collected in permanent plots or in the vicinities of the Santa Lúcia Biological Station, highlands of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

As for species threatened with extinction, 47 monitored tree species are included in the list of threatened flora in the state of Espírito Santo (Fraga et al. 2019), categorized as follows: VU (18), EN (24), and CR (5). In the CNCFlora Red List (CNCFlora 2023), 48 monitored tree species are categorized as: VU (7), EN (34), and CR (7). Similarly, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2024) revealed that 48 monitored tree species are threatened: VU (14), EN (26), and CR (8). Thus, we counted 88 monitored species (about 23% of the total) that were assigned to a threat category in at least one of the consulted lists of threatened species (see the ‘Conservation status’ column in Table 1), some of them iconic species of the Atlantic Forest, such as the palm Euterpe edulis and the timber wood species Melanoxylon brauna Schott, Ocotea odorifera (Vell.) Rohwer, Diplotropis incexis Rizzini & A. Mattos, and Manilkara longifolia (A. DC.) Dubard. The high number of threatened species reported here provides crucial information for conservation management in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, positioning SLBS as a refuge for endemic and threatened species within a region defined by MMA (2021) as of very high priority for biodiversity conservation in the biome. This is noteworthy, given that SLBS has less than 500 ha and is not officially recognized as a Nature Conservation Unit in Brazil.

The recalculated species richness, diversity, and evenness in each survey are presented in Table 3. Although the pairwise differences between values were not significant in the Hutcheson’s t-test, richness decreased by 2%. In fact, the expected pattern for an undisturbed tropical forest like that of SLBS would be an increase in, or at least the maintenance of, species richness, diversity and evenness over time (Shima et al. 2018). As diversity and evenness depend on species richness and abundance, such a long-term pattern has been attributed to nonrandom mortality and recruitment processes that enhance the survival of rare species and reduce the dominance of common species (Wills et al 2006, Shima et al. 2018). Thus, the slight, non-significant loss of species and diversity may be a temporary effect of natural fluctuations in the populations of some tree species.

Table 3
Richness (number of species), Shannon diversity index (H'), and
Pielou’s evenness (J) in three surveys of trees using permanent forest plots at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station, highlands of Espírito Santo, Brazil. S1, first survey (1992–1993); S2, second survey (2003–2004); S3, third survey (2017–2018).

Nevertheless, it must be noted that changes in the ecosystem functioning (i.e., increases in tree mortality and decreases in carbon stock) have been observed in some forests in southeastern Brazil as a result of atmospheric enrichment with CO2 and extreme climatic events characterized by high temperatures and drought (Maia et al. 2020, Rocha et al. 2020). Therefore, we recognize that analyzing possible changes in richness, diversity, and evenness over time in the monitored forest was beyond the scope of this study. Certainly, future studies will be able to address this with the support of continued monitoring and the use of appropriate methods, thereby confirming or not the expected trend of stability in richness and diversity.

Conclusion

The results presented here have revealed that the updated list of tree species monitored at SLBS is not only a relevant reference about a forest with high diversity and endemism in Brazil but also a testimony of one of the most important initiatives for advancing knowledge on the Atlantic Forest flora. Despite all the technical and financial challenges faced over time, the monitoring has been carried out with relative success, due to the support from INMA and dedication of many researchers.

However, it must be emphasized that new efforts will be required to refine the list. The absence of fertile vouchers for all morphospecies remains the main obstacle and we noted cases where vegetative vouchers from potential new species persist for years as the only representative materials. To achieve such refinement, we could suggest two strategies. The first would be establishing and sustaining a permanent field team dedicated to monitoring the reproductive cycles of species, collecting vouchers, and carrying out fieldwork. The second would be to intensify the taxonomic analysis of both old and new vouchers. Additionally, we recommend creating a digital catalog with high-resolution images and morphometric data of branches, leaves, bark, flowers, and fruits, to facilitate the identification of species reliably, even in the case of vegetative samples.

Finally, we also argue that it is absolutely necessary to investigate the status of threatened species populations in the face of their potential risk of decline. This research focus will be a fundamental contribution of the SLBS monitoring program to the conservation of plant species in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot.

Acknowledgments

F. Z. Saiter, E. Ramos, J. Freitas, J. P. Zorzanelli, V. C. Manhães, and H. C. Lima thank both the Programa de Capacidação Institucional of INMA and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for grants 300823/2021-5, 301403/2024-4, 302030/2024-7, 317326/2023-6, 317342/2023-1, 317792/2021-0, respectively. F. Z. Saiter also thanks the Programa Institucional de Difusão Científica (PRODIF) of the Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (IFES) for financial support. E. F. Oza thanks the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) for grant E-26/201.789/2019. We are also grateful to all botanists and para-botanists who contributed to the tree species monitoring at SLBS through the collection of botanical samples, maintenance of permanent plots, management and identification of vouchers in herbaria, and synopses of the regional flora, especially the following: T. D. M. Barbosa, E. Bausen, H. Q. Boudet-Fernandes, T. Cruz, V. Demuner, V. F. Dutra, R. Goldenberg, L. Kollmann, A. Z. Mônico, M. Sobral, L. D. Thomaz, and R. R. Vervloet.

Data Availability

The complete dataset of the tree monitoring is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26279350.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    16 Dec 2024
  • Date of issue
    2024

History

  • Received
    07 Sept 2024
  • Accepted
    12 Nov 2024
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