Ocorrência e fitossítios de Cyathea delgadii Pohl ex. Sternb. no Parque da Matinha, Monte Carmelo - MG

Abstract

Understanding environmental changes and their impacts on natural resources is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Due to the degradation of natural ecosystems, conservation strategies for tree fern species in the Cerrado are urgently needed given their evolutionary, ethnobotanical, and ecological importance. The objective of this study was to establish the occurrence of Cyathea delgadii Pohl ex. Sternb in Matinha Park in Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais, through the mapping of phytosites, with the aim of supporting conservation and management strategies for the species. The park constitutes an important forest fragment with a significant hydrological function, serving as a transition zone between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. The regional survey indicated that the species has a restricted distribution in the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba regions, with only eight confirmed records, this being the first for the municipality of Monte Carmelo. Within the forest fragment, systematic transects were conducted to record and count individuals, noting their phytosanitary condition and location for subsequent mapping of the phytosites. A total of 85 living individuals were recorded, distributed in clusters within humid, shaded, and semi-shaded environments, which were identified as priority zones for the species’ conservation (phytosites). Fifteen dead individuals were counted, indicating that the individuals suffered physiological decline, possibly due to water deficit, which led to the death of the apical meristem. Given the species’ sensitivity to changes in the water regime, the results of this study suggest that Cyathea delgadii Pohl ex. Sternb. has potential as an environmental bioindicator, enabling the monitoring of the species and its associations with local hydrological conditions.