ABSTRACT
The remnant areas of Atlantic coastal Forest on hillocks in the coastal lowlands of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, have been poorly studied in terms of both their structure and floristics. Sample plots, totaling one hectare, were inventoried using a DBH ≥ 5 cm inclusion criterion. Allometric relationships were used to define a canopy tree as having a DBH ≥ 10cm and height ≥ 10 m. A total of 580 individuals were sampled, comprising 174 species belonging to 45 families. The Shannon diversity index (H´) was 4.57 nats/ind, and the equitability (J) was 0.88. These were considered representative values for an area of Atlantic Coastal Forest in that state. Among the families with the highest species richness (74% of the total number of species) were: Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae, Lauraceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, Monimiaceae, Clethraceae, Flacourtiaceae, Annonaceae, Rubiaceae, Meliaceae, Sapindaceae, and Myristicaceae. Among the species with the highest VI were: Senefeldera verticillata , Siparuna reginae, Mabea piriri, Casearia sylvestris, Clethra scabra, Tibouchina scrobiculata, Pseudopiptadenia inaequalis, Guapira opposita, Apuleia leiocarpa, and Brosimum guianense. The indicator species for hillock forests were: Apuleia leiocarpa, Eugenia macahensis, Simarouba amara, and Pseudopiptadenia contorta.
Key words:
Atlantic Coastal Forest; floristics; community structure; canopy; lowland forest; hillocks