Angiosperms of dry grasslands and savannahs of Jalapão, the largest conserved Cerrado area in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract This study provides a checklist of angiosperm species from Jalapão region, Tocantins, Brazil, inserted within the Cerrado biome, a global biodiversity hotspot. The region of Jalapão is still well preserved despite current threats to its biodiversity, however its plant diversity is still poorly understood. To generate the present checklist, fieldwork was carried out and relevant herbarium collections were consulted. Angiosperms distributed in the grassland and savanna physiognomies with dry, non-rocky soils were recorded. We detected 550 species within 85 families. The richest families are Leguminosae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Malpighiaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Among the plant species, ten are listed as rare, ten are threatened, and twelve were identified as new to science. This study increases the number of angiosperm species occurring in these vegetation types in Jalapão almost 2-fold compared to previous inventories. The Cerrado biome and Jalapão region are under heavy threat due to agricultural expansion, and our study contributes to the knowledge of plant biodiversity as a fundamental step towards designing and carrying out conservation actions.