Composição florística e biologia reprodutiva do componente arbóreo da mata atlântica de Utinga Leão, Rio Largo - AL

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most biodiverse and threatened biomes on the planet, playing an essential role in maintaining ecological processes. This study aimed to evaluate the floristic diversity of tree species, as well as to characterize the pollination and dispersal syndromes in an Atlantic Forest fragment located at the Atlantic Forest Preservation Institute (IPMA), in the municipality of Rio Largo, Alagoas, Brazil. For the methodological approach, a floristic survey was conducted between 2025 and 2026, with the installation of 70 plots of 10 x 10 m arranged in a systematic sampling block, totaling a continuous sampling area of 0.7 hectares. Individuals with a circumference at breast height (CBH) equal to or greater than 15 cm were included. Identification was supported by specialized literature and the Flora e Funga do Brasil platform, adopting the APG IV classification system. As results, 376 tree individuals were recorded, distributed across 18 botanical families, with a predominance of Fabaceae. A high predominance of native species (84.3%) was observed in relation to exotic species (15.7%). Regarding pollination syndromes, there was a predominance of entomophily (75.3%), followed by chiropterophily (13.8%) and melittophily (10.9%). In relation to dispersal syndromes, zoochory was the most representative (56.4%), followed by anemochory (34.3%), autochory (8.0%), and hydrochory (1.3%). It is concluded that the forest fragment shows high ecological functionality and strong interaction between flora and fauna for the maintenance of reproductive processes. Adaptive control of exotic species and the preservation of local biotic vectors are recommended to ensure gene flow and continuous natural regeneration of the area.