Local Roots: Mapping Native Species for Seed Collection in the Serra da Mantiqueira Region Victória Masson, Flora Faria Martins de Arantes, Mara Angelina Galvão Magenta

Abstract

The Serra da Mantiqueira, a vast mountainous region in Minas Gerais, faces environmental challenges that have driven conservation and restoration initiatives. Based on the survey of native species as matrices for seed collection, this study aimed to inventory and map native plants on the Fazenda da Bomba property and adjacent areas, in the municipality of Baependi. In total, 32 arboreal specimens were recorded, belonging to 11 families, 17 genera and 20 species. The Fabaceae family was the most representative family, with six species and zoochory was the predominant dispersal syndrome, with nine species. The vegetation of Fazenda da Bomba and its surroundings can act as a model unit for the formation of a seed collection network, providing support for the active involvement of the community in the collection of native seeds, especially representatives of the Fabaceae family and native species with zoochoric dispersion. These seeds are essential for reforestation efforts and recovery of degraded landscapes in the region covered by the project.