By
Isildo Gomes, Ilídio Moreira & Teresa Ferreira

ABSTRACT A study on the vegetation of the hydrographic basin of the Ribeira da Garça has been initiated as a contribution to the management program of this area.   96 floristic inventories have been made on river beds, on rocks and on escarpments between November 1996 and April 1997 as well as an appraisal of the environmental variables (height, exposure, pH, conductivity, proportion of the arable soil and human intervention). Due to these floristic inventories as well as the environmental variables, several groups of species were established, with reference to the more characteristic ones for each group based on the canonical correspondence analysis made with help of the CANOCO program. The 156 species found were classified regarding their occurred frequence and abundance and the vegetation was quantified through the evaluation of its cover rate per substratum.   A number of fodder or medical plants as well as endemic species were signalled (60, 25 and 32 respectively) in order to contribute for the evaluation of the importance of the vegetation in the conservation of the biodiversity in this area. Several aspects regarding the conservation of rare or endangered endemic species were also analysed.

Isildo Gomes Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário. - C. P. 84 - Praia. Telef. 711127/623449. - 711133/623449

Ilídio Moreira & Teresa Ferreira Instituto Superior de Agronomia Universidade Técnica de Lisboa - Portugal. 351.1.3635031

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