A Preliminary Checklist of Vascular Plants Endemic to the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, with Comments on Their Extinction Threats Status

Resumo

The Chapada Diamantina is the northern extension of the Espinhaço Mountain Range and comprises diverse and complex vegetation types. It is also characterized by a high degree of plant endemism, especially in the “campos rupestres” sites. We present a preliminary checklist of the endemic vascular plants of Chapada Diamantina within the concept of the “Chapada Diamantina Complex” ecoregion. Regional floras and inventories were searched for citations of endemism. The checklist includes 459 endemic plant species from the Chapada Diamantina, distributed among 48 botanic families and 156 genera. Eight genera comprise more than 10 endemic species each. Microlicia was the most diverse genus, with 38 species. This checklist has a preliminary character, as very few groups have been intensively studied over the entire range, and the flora of several localities is still poorly known. As the first effort to synthesize the literature concerning endemism in the Chapada Diamantina, this checklist represents an initial approximation of the wide diversity of species found there. The available data indicates that diversity is largely restricted to just a few groups. A total of 285 species were evaluated on their threats of extinction. Of these, 277 species have some degree of threat, 40 (14.44%) of them being CR. The factor influencing the extinction threat are related mainly to the narrow area of occurrence of many species. Deforestation and burning in the vegetation are other risks. On the other hand, several endemic species not evaluated are relatively common in the Chapada Diamantina and aren't on threat of extinction.