AN annotated checklist of ferns and lycophytes from the biological reserve of uATUMÃ, an area with patches of rich-soils in central amazonia, BRAZIL

Abstract

There are few inventories of ferns and lycophytes of the Brazilian Amazon and most of them were made in areas of poor soils. The general species richness found in previous studies is low. This study presents an annotated list containing 122 species and three varieties of ferns and lycophytes from Biological Reserve of Uatumã, a large reserve that includes small patches of rich soils in Central Amazonia. The study site is located ca. 200 km north of Manaus, AM, Brazil. Inventories were made more intensively inside a grid system of trails of 5 times 5 km and less intensively in some white-sand forests and waterfalls in the surroundings of Balbina's Village. Reference to the original description, habit, habitat, material examined, geographic distribution and voucher information are presented for each taxon. This is the first floristic survey of ferns and lycophytes from areas with relatively rich soils of Central Amazonia. The high number of species found challenges the concept that Central Amazonia is species-poor for the two groups studied and the strong relationship with soil conditions reinforces the proposal to include ferns and lycophytes as indicator groups of the distribution of biodiversity in the region.