Field Guide to cerrado species of Chapada dos Veadeiros to assist restoration initiatives

Abstract

Restoration initiatives of degraded areas in the Cerrado are essential for recovering biodiversity and various ecosystem services. Restoration processes are closely related to the knowledge and information acquired about the ecosystem intended to be restored. In other words, data on the richness, diversity, and distribution of typical species found in reference ecosystems are essential to support solid restoration projects of degraded environments. Several restoration projects are underway in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, and most use the direct seeding of native species to recover the native vegetation cover. However, many of these initiatives fail to bring the native vegetation back, either by using species unsuitable for specific environments or a minimal set of species - usually generalist and ruderal - representing only a tiny portion of the flora diversity. All this indicates a need for knowledge of the species that make up the communities in the different physiognomic forms of the Cerrado (savannas, forests, and wet or dry grasslands). Therefore, this project aims to contribute to the knowledge about the biodiversity found in different reference ecosystems close to the areas under restoration. To this end, we will develop an illustrated Field Guide to the most representative plant species in the various environments in the Chapada dos Veadeiros. The Guide will be written in an accessible language, containing information about the species and the ecology and functioning of the phytophysiognomies covered. Vegetative and reproductive characteristics of the species will be illustrated to allow their easy identification. This guide will be another tool to support future restoration projects by enriching the list of species used in different locations (improving the definition of the species pool of each type of plant community). Thus, directing these projects to results based on a solid knowledge of the distribution of local species and contributing to the activities of seed collectors in the region. (AU)