Comparative phytosociology of two mangroves: Canal de Bertioga/SP and the estuary of Barra do Rio Una-Peruíbe-SP Katia Domingues Blotta, Eliane Marta Quinones, Fabio Giordano, Antonio Rosendo, Edinéia Farraboti, Renan Braga Ribeiro

Abstract

Mangroves occur in sheltered coastal regions and present favorable conditions for feeding, protecting and reproducing many animal species, being considered an important transformer of nutrients into organic matter, generating goods and services. The mangroves closest to cities are most devastated. This research aimed to compare mangrove forests in the Bertioga Channel and the south coast (Barra do Una-Peruíbe) of the State of São Paulo. To this end, some structural variables were analyzed (Relative Density, Relative Dominance, Relative Frequency), tools which are used to analyze the degree of development of mangrove forests and for medium and long-term monitoring of regeneration and ecological succession processes. It was noted that the Bertioga Canal forests are in a juvenile state and structurally poorly developed, most likely due to human intervention. The forests of Barra do Una are more developed, with few young species. The presence of the species Laguncularia racemosa in the Barra do Una forest can be explained, as these species are adapted to colonize floodable and saline environments, thus resisting not only the influence of tides, but also high salinity.