Os fatores edáficos e antropogênicos e suas correlações com as fitofisionomias do Parque Estadual da Mata Seca, Manga/MG

Abstract

The northern end of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais is located in an ecotonal zone between the Cerrado and Caatinga domains. This scenario, marked by a variety of vegetation types, is the location of the Mata Seca State Park (“Dry Forest State Park”). Here, aiming towards a better understanding of soil/plant/society interactions, we aimed at analysing the influence of soil and anthropogenic factors on floristic, physiognomic and structural characteristics of the vegetation of the study site. All soils are eutrophic and soil Ca and Mg were important variables to explain vegetation size. Anthropogenic factors, such as selective logging and cyclic logging in pasture areas, stood out as the most relevant factors to explain differences among the park‟s plant formations. The Mata Seca State Park has great floristic richness, with 83 species distributed among 25 families. The richest families were Fabaceae, Bignoniaceae and Euphorbiaceae. The most preserved and soil rich vegetation types displayed the highest size and density. Shallower soils and anthropogenic activities favoured the reduction in individual size and density. These results evidence the influence of soil and anthropogenic factors on the vegetation types of the site.