DISPERSAL SYNDROMES AND POTENTIAL USES OF THE SHRUB-TREE FLORA IN AN URBAN REMNANT OF CERRADO sensu stricto IN PORTO NACIONAL, TOCANTINS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/ba5pvq43Keywords:
savanna; urban vegetation; fruits; conservation.Abstract
Urban Cerrado remnants play an important role in biodiversity conservation, especially in landscapes affected by fragmentation, recurrent fire, mechanical vegetation suppression, and urban expansion. This study aimed to analyze seed dispersal syndromes and potential uses of shrub-arboreal species recorded in an urban cerrado sensu stricto remnant in Porto Nacional, Tocantins, Brazil. The floristic and phytosociological data were obtained from a previous survey carried out by Louzeiro (2025), in which 1,073 shrub-arboreal individuals distributed in 53 species and 45 genera were recorded. Based on this dataset, a complementary analysis was conducted to classify dispersal syndromes and categorize the potential uses of the species. Species were classified as zoochoric, anemochoric, autochoric, or undetermined according to morphological traits of fruits, seeds, and diaspores, as well as information from specialized literature. Potential uses were categorized as medicinal, food, timber, ornamental, artisanal, energy, oil-producing, and environmental recovery. The results showed a predominance of species with medicinal use, followed by timber, ornamental, and food uses. Regarding dispersal syndromes, zoochoric species predominated, indicating the importance of plant-animal interactions for maintaining the ecological dynamics of the plant community. The association between zoochoric species and food uses reinforces the role of urban Cerrado remnants as biodiversity refuges, fauna-support areas, and strategic spaces for conservation, environmental education, urban afforestation, and appreciation of native flora.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gabrielly Oliveira dos Santos Moreira, Alex de Oliveira Louzeiro, Tiago da Silva Ribeiro , Rodney Haulien Oliveira Viana, Priscila Bezerra de Souza
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