Síndromes de polinização em diferentes fisionomias de uma área de mata ciliar no reservatório de Volta Grande, Estados de Minas Gerais e São Paulo, Brasil.

Abstract

Flowering plants have reproductive tructures that vary across species in morphological and functional features and that may be associated with pollination syndromes, including wind, beetles, moths, bees, birds, or bats. Plant reproductive processes are determinants of the composition and structure of communities. We evaluated the reproductive characteristics of plant species occurring in severely disturbed areas that were re-vegetated, with native plant species in order to evaluate the restoration process. Between March, 2013, and January, 2014, the floral attributes of all of the flowering plants found in 50 plots distributed among five riparian forest fragments in different stages of succession were recorded and used to characterize pollination syndromes. Richness, abundance and composition of pollination syndromes was related to climatic periods, age and width of the forest fragment, richness and abundance of plants, and the quality of the surrounding matrix. There were differences in the composition of syndromes among sampling units (F=54.402, p<0.001), and among climatic periods (F=8.8942, p<0.001). Richness (X²=18.869, p<0.001) and abundance (X²=100.97, p<0.001) of pollination syndromes varied among climatic periods, having the highest values in the end of the dry season and the start of the rainy season. Older areas, wider areas, and areas with more plants had higher values of richness and abundance of syndromes. The quality of the surrounding matrix influences only the richness of syndromes. We conclude that floral characteristics are good indicators of environmental restoration in riparian forests re-vegetated and that the surrounding matrix contributes to the greater richness of syndromes.