A Preliminary Checklist of Vascular Plants Endemic to the

Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, with Comments on Their Extinction Threats Status

Cezar Neubert Gonçalves1* e Cristiane Freitas de Azevedo Gonçalves2

Recebido em 18/10/2022 – Aceito em 13/09/2023

ABSTRACT – The Chapada Diamantina is the northern extension of the Espinhaço Mountain Range and comprises diverse and complex vegetation types. It is also characterized by a high degree of plant endemism, especially in the “campos rupestres” sites. We present a preliminary checklist of the endemic vascular plants of Chapada Diamantina within the concept of the “Chapada Diamantina Complex” ecoregion. Regional floras and inventories were searched for citations of endemism. The checklist includes 459 endemic plant species from the Chapada Diamantina, distributed among 48 botanic families and 156 genera. Eight genera comprise more than 10 endemic species each. Microlicia was the most diverse genus, with 38 species. This checklist has a preliminary character, as very few groups have been intensively studied over the entire range, and the flora of several localities is still poorly known. As the first effort to synthesize the literature concerning endemism in the Chapada Diamantina, this checklist represents an initial approximation of the wide diversity of species found there. The available data indicates that diversity is largely restricted to just a few groups. A total of 285 species were evaluated on their threats of extinction. Of these, 277 species have some degree of threat, 40 (14.44%) of them being CR. The factor influencing the extinction threat are related mainly to the narrow area of occurrence of many species. Deforestation and burning in the vegetation are other risks. On the other hand, several endemic species not evaluated are relatively common in the Chapada Diamantina and aren´t on threat of extinction.

Keywords: Chapada Diamantina; endemics; rupestrian grasslands.

Lista Preliminar de Plantas Vasculares Endêmicas da Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil, com Comentários sobre seus Status de Ameaça de Extinção

RESUMO – A Chapada Diamantina é a extensão norte da cadeia do Espinhaço e caracteriza-se por vegetações diversas e complexas. Também é caracterizada por muito endemismo das plantas, especialmente nos campos rupestres. Neste artigo é apresentada uma lista preliminar das plantas vasculares endêmicas de Chapada Diamantina. O conceito de Chapada Diamantina adotado aqui é a ecorregião “Complexo da Chapada Diamantina”. A literatura botânica sobre floras regionais e inventários botânicos locais foi pesquisada por citações do endemismo. A lista retornou 459 espécies de plantas endêmicas da Chapada Diamantina, distribuídas entre 48 famílias botânicas e 156 gêneros. Oito gêneros compreenderam mais de 10 espécies endêmicas cada. Microlicia foi o gênero mais diversificado, com 38 espécies. Essa lista tem um caráter preliminar, pois poucos grupos na Chapada Diamantina foram intensamente estudados em toda a área, e a flora de várias localidades ainda é pouco conhecida. Como o primeiro esforço para sintetizar a literatura sobre o endemismo na Chapada Diamantina, a lista apresenta uma aproximação inicial da grande diversidade de espécies encontradas. Os dados disponíveis indicam, no entanto, que a diversidade é restrita principalmente a apenas alguns grupos. Um total de 285 espécies foram avaliadas em suas ameaças de extinção. Dessas, 277 espécies apresentam algum grau de ameaça, sendo 40 (14,44%) delas Criticamente em Perigo. Os fatores que influenciam a ameaça de extinção estão relacionados principalmente à pequena área de ocorrência de muitas espécies. Desmatamento e queimadas na vegetação são outros riscos. Por outro lado, várias espécies endêmicas não avaliadas são relativamente comuns na Chapada Diamantina e não estão ameaçadas de extinção.

Palavras-chave: Campos rupestres; Chapada Diamantina; endemismo.

Lista Preliminar de Plantas Vasculares Endémicas de Chapada Diamantina, Bahía, Brasil, con Comentarios sobre su Estado de Peligro de Extinción

RESUMEN – Chapada Diamantina es la extensión norte de la sierra de Espinhaço y se caracteriza por una vegetación diversa y compleja. También se caracteriza por un alto grado de endemismo vegetal, especialmente en campos rupestres. Este artículo presenta una lista preliminar de plantas vasculares endémicas de Chapada Diamantina. El concepto de Chapada Diamantina adoptado aquí es la ecorregión “Complexo da Chapada Diamantina”. Se buscó en la literatura botánica sobre floras regionales e inventarios botánicos locales citas de endemismo. La lista arrojó 459 especies de plantas endémicas de Chapada Diamantina, distribuidas en 48 familias botánicas y 156 géneros. Ocho géneros comprendían más de ١٠ especies endémicas cada uno. Microlicia fue el género más diverso, con 38 especies. Esta lista tiene un carácter preliminar ya que pocos grupos en Chapada Diamantina han sido estudiados intensamente en toda el área y la flora de varios lugares aún es poco conocida. Como primer esfuerzo de síntesis de la literatura sobre endemismo en la Chapada Diamantina, esta lista presenta una primera aproximación a la gran diversidad de especies encontradas. Los datos disponibles indican, sin embargo, que la diversidad se restringe principalmente a unos pocos grupos. Un total de 285 especies fueron evaluadas en sus amenazas de extinción. De estas, 277 especies presentan algún grado de amenaza, siendo 40 (14.44%) de ellas CR. Los factores que influyen en la amenaza de extinción están relacionados principalmente con la estrecha área de presencia de muchas especies. La deforestación y la quema de la vegetación son otros riesgos. Por otro lado, varias especies endémicas no evaluadas son relativamente comunes en la Chapada Diamantina y no están en peligro de extinción.

Palabras clave: Campos rocosos; Chapada Diamantina; endemismo.

Introduction

The Chapada Diamantina Ecoregion (Vellozo et al., 2002) represents the northern portion of the Espinhaço Range, located in the center of Bahia State, in northeastern Brazil. It is characterized by a diverse and complex vegetation, with elements from three different Brazilian biomes: Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), Atlantic Forest (mainly seasonal forests), and Caatinga (composed mainly of xerophytic formations), as well as several ecotones (Velloso et al., 2002; Zappi et al., 2003; Giulietti et al., 2004; Conceição et al., 2007). The highest elevations of the region are occupied by “Campos Rupestres” (Rupestrian Grasslands), which are recognized as biodiversity hotspots, with high degrees of plant species richness, endemism, and unique species compositions (Conceição & Pirani, 2016). This area is also cited as having high faunal endemism (Heyer, 1999; Napoli & Juncá, 2006; Rodrigues et al., 2006; 2009; Napoli et al., 2011; Pombal Jr. et al., 2012; Teixeira Jr. et al., 2012; Fernandes & Handam, 2014).

Conceição et al. (2016) recorded 165 species endemic to the Espinhaço Range in 785 plots of campos rupestres sampled within 39 communities, which represented 32.7% of all of the species in their study. Several other studies have emphasized the high numbers of endemic species in the Campos Rupestres of the Chapada Diamantina (Guedes & Orgue, 1998; Stannard, 1995; Zappi et al., 2003). Many endemic species have likewise been described from other formations in the Chapada Diamantina, such as seasonal forests (Fiaschi, 2005; Santo et al., 2012) and Caatinga (Vasconcelos et al., 2016; Silva-Castro, 2017).

Lists of endemic species can be used to justify the creation of protected areas and conservation of natural environments (Hazevoet, 1996; Grill et al., 2002). Forzza et al. (2010) reported that 56% of the Brazilian flora is restricted only to that country. Giulietti et al. (2002) listed 318 species endemic to the Caatinga Biome. In spite these references and lists of endemics of other taxonomic groups (Martinelli et al., 2008, Versieux et al., 2008, Conceição et al., 2015) or published accounts of endemic species in regional floras (Romero & Nakajima, 1999; Siqueira Filho et al., 2012), checklists of the endemics of specific Brazilian regions are uncommon. Thomas et al. (1998) listed 394 taxa (including species, subspecies, and varieties) in their checklist of the endemic taxa of two forest areas in southern Bahia and Espírito Santo State.

This work presents a preliminary checklist of endemic vascular plants of the Chapada Diamantina. Discussions of taxonomic aspects, conservation status, and other relevant topics of the species listed are also provided.

Materials and Methods

The concept of endemism is useful for quantifying the biological uniqueness of an area. Peterson & Watson (1994) argued, however, that it is important differentiate between a geographic definition (the restricted range of distribution of a given taxon) and a regional distribution approach (endemism). In this work, we consider those species restricted to the Chapada Diamantina region (as defined below) as endemics, although that view encompasses several distribution ranges within that region.

Velloso et al. (2002) proposed several ecoregions for the Caatinga biome, including the Chapada Diamantina Complex, which is roughly equivalent to the relief concept of IBGE (2006), and includes considerations of soils, climate, vegetation, geomorphology, and geology. We adopted that concept as the delimitation of the Chapada Diamantina (Figure 1). As mentioned previously, that delimitation includes xerophytic formations, grasslands and savannah-like formations, Rupestrian Grasslands, seasonal forests, and small patches of evergreen forest, as well as the ecotones between those formations (Velloso et al., 2002).

We searched the botanical literature for regional floras and inventories looking for citations of endemism in the Chapada Diamantina. The extensive work of Giulietti et al. (2009), evaluating the rare species of Brazilian flora, as well as the Red Book of the Brazilian Flora (Martinelli & Moraes, 2013), furnished some basic information for several groups. We also looked for species descriptions and revisions of genera or families where the geographical distributions of their species were cited. We listed only species names (not considering subspecies or varieties). The species names were checked for synonyms using the taxonomic literature available for each family. The concepts adopted for defining botanical families are based on APG IV (2016) and PPG I (2016).

All data obtained were listed on a matrix containing the species name and geographic information. We used the Specieslink (www.splink.cria.org.br) as a database to review the distribution matrix and to evaluate any eventual errors concerning the citations of species as endemic to the Chapada Diamantina. The species descriptions available on the site www.ipni.org were used, in some cases, as an additional data source if the species was not listed on the Specieslink.

Data about the evaluation of extinction risk for the endemic plant species to the Chapada Diamantina were obtained in the “Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Flora Ameaçadas de Extinção” (Official National List of Endangered Species of Flora; MMA, 2014; National list, henceforth) and in the “Lista Oficial das Espécies Endêmicas da Flora Ameaçadas de Extinção do Estado da Bahia” (Official List of Endemic Flora Species Threatened by Extinction from the State of Bahia; Bahia, 2017; Bahia list, henceforth). Following these official lists, the species were classified in categories based on IUCN (2012), according to Table 1. Some species described in recent years were not evaluated in National or Bahia list but their threat statuses were appointed by their authors, and we consider these evaluations on the list in the Table 2.

Results

A total of 459 endemic plant species were identified for the Chapada Diamantina (Table 2), distributed among 48 botanic families and 156 genera. Asteraceae was the family with the greatest number of species (81), followed by Melastomataceae (76), Fabaceae (51), Lamiaceae (29), Bromeliaceae (24), Eriocaulaceae (19), Verbenaceae (17), Orchidaceae (16), Passifloraceae (15), and Poaceae (14). Those nine families together comprised 73.86% of the endemic species. All the other families were represented by less than 10 species; and 14 had only one endemic species. Only one endemic species belonged to a fern family (Doryopteris trilobata J. Prado, Pteridaceae), with all the others being angiosperms.

Seven genera showed more than 10 endemic species each. Microlicia was the most diverse genus, with 37 species, followed by Calliandra (35), Marcetia (18), Stachytarpheta (13), Eriope (12), Sincoraea (11), and Paepalanthus (11). Those seven genera together comprised 29.58% of the endemic species. Twelve genera were considered endemic to the Chapada Diamantina: Arrojadocharis, Bishopiella, Catolesia, Lapidia, Scherya, Semiria, and Stylotrichium (all Asteraceae); Adamantinia and Thelyschista (Orchidaceae); Pseudiris (Iridaceae); Rayleya (Malvaceae); and Rupestrea (Melastomataceae).

To date, 285 (61.77%) endemic species from Chapada Diamantina Ecoregion have their status of threat evaluated (Figure 2). Only two was considered LC, while six others were DD. All the remainder 277 species have some degree of threat, 40 (14.44%) of them being CR.

Eleven species included in our list has nor in the National list neither in the Bahia list but were evaluated by their authors when they were described. Five of them were considered EN by their authors, four were CR, one vulnerable VU and one DD.

The National list and the Bahia list have 274 species when combined. Of these, 136 were on the Bahia list but not in the National list. On the same way, five species have different status in the Bahia list in relation to the categorization in the National list, all of them in a greater degree of threat. On the other hand, 43 species cited on the National list are not in the Bahia list.

Discussion

This checklist has a preliminary character as very few groups have been intensively studied in the whole extent of the Chapada Diamantina, and the flora of several localities is still poorly known. Intensive sampling efforts in some localities, such as the Pico das Almas (Rio de Contas), Catolés (Abaíra), Serra da Chapadinha (Lençóis), and the Pai Inácio Mountain (Palmeiras), have resulted in floras or checklists (Stannard, 1995; Guedes & Orgue, 1998; Zappi et al., 2003). Several new species have been described because of those efforts (Harley, 1988, 1992; Giulietti & Parra, 1995; Woodgyer & Zappi, 2009), and new species are still regularly described from several different areas (e.g., Giulietti & Silva, 2016; Siniscalchi et al., 2016; Vasconcelos et al., 2016; Roque et al., 2017; Silva-Castro, 2017). Some species previously listed as restricted from Chapada Diamantina, on the other hand, have been found in other localities (Monteiro et al., 2012).

As a first effort to synthesize published studies concerning endemic species in the Chapada Diamantina, this checklist presents an idea of the wide diversity of species restricted to that area. The available data indicates that the observed diversity is largely restricted to just a few groups, with ten families (17.85% of the total) retaining more than two thirds of the endemic species. Similarly, the 10 most diverse genera (5.78%) include almost one third of the endemic species.

Our knowledge of the flora from Chapada Diamantina, including its endemic species, has been greatly improved by the intensive works of several researchers, especially A. M. Giulietti and R. N. Harley. The former described 11 of the 26 species of Eriocaulaceae listed here (Giulietti & Parra, 1995; Giulietti & Miranda, 2009; Giulietti & Silva, 2016; Pereira et al., 2016) and some species of other families (Gil et al., 2008; Campos et al., 2010). Dr. Harley described 26 of the 33 Lamiaceae species restricted to the Chapada Diamantina (Harley 1988, 1992; Harley & Walsingham, 2014), as well as species from several other groups (Zappi & Harley, 1992; Taylor et al., 2000, Harley & Giulietti, 2005).

The genera of Asteraceae restricted to Chapada Diamantina all belong to the subtribe Gyptidiane (Rivera et al., 2016; Roque et al., 2017). Rivera et al. (2016) noted that the generic concepts of this subtribe will need to be examined in more detail to precisely define their limits, and current generic concepts will probably be shifted to accommodate taxonomic classifications in response to the phylogenetic relationships identi-fied in their analyses. Similarly, Roque et al. (2017) described the genus Lapidia to accommodate a shrub species that is phylogenetically basal to a clade including the genera Catolesia, Morithamnus, and Bahianthus. Rivera et al. (2016) cited Agrianthus as an endemic genus, but all of the records of Agrianthus campestris Mart. ex DC. are from localities in Minas Gerais State, as are most records of A. myrtoides Mattf. (Specieslink 2017). The remaining genera restricted to the Chapada Diamantina (Adamantinia, Thelyschista, Pseudiris, Rayleya, and Rupestrea) are phylogenetically basal in their groups, and their actual ranges of distribution could represent remnants of wider historical distributions (van den Berg & Chase, 2004; Gil et al., 2008; Whitlock & Hale, 2011; Goldenberg et al., 2015).

Santos & Silva (2005) recorded 123 species of Melastomataceae belonging to 55 genera in the municipality of Rio de Contas, at the southwestern end of the Chapada Diamantina, with 59 endemics. Other workers have described other new endemic species of this family, mainly from Mucugê (Almeda & Martins, 2012; Freitas et al., 2012; Freitas & van den Berg, 2016; Goldenberg et al., 2015).

Fabaceae is a very diverse family in the Chapada Diamantina, mainly in terms of the genus Calliandra. The taxonomy of this genus in the Chapada Diamantina was reviewed by Souza (2001), who reported 36 endemic species and pointed out the importance of Chapada Diamantina to the genus, as approximately 25% of all known Calliandra species are restricted to that area. Souza et al. (2013) showed that all but one endemic species belonged to a single infrageneric taxon (Sect. Monticola); only C. pilgerana Harms belongs to Sect. Androcaullis. The authors attributed this unbalanced diversity of the infrageneric groups of Calliandra to their relatively recent and rapid adaptive radiation into the Campos Rupestres, a pattern likewise observed in other groups (Souza et al., 2013).

Versieux et al. (2008) prepared a list of the Bromeliaceae from the Cadeia do Espinhaço mountain chain, which includes the Chapada Diamantina, and recorded 34 species endemic to the Chapada; one species had no specific epithet (“Dyckia sp 5”) in their check list and probably represents an undescribed species (which was accordingly excluded from the present list). Other bromeliad species were excluded because they are not endemic to the Chapada Diamantina (based on Specieslink 2017), including Aechmea bahiana L. B. Sm., Cryptanthus warren-loosei Leme, Dyckia nervata Rauh., and Hohenbergia vestita L. B. Smith. We list here 25 bromeliads as endemics.

A previous study focusing on the family Orchidaceae from the Chapada Diamantina listed 15 species and two genera as being endemic (van den Berg & Azevedo, 2005). Various other studies focusing on the floristic compositions of Orchidaceae in several localities cited endemic taxa (Azevedo & van den Berg, 2007; Bastos & van den Berg, 2012; Vieira et al., 2014). Additional studies, however, have shown that some of those species have relatively wide distributions and are not endemics, such as Encyclia alboxanthina Fowlie (Monteiro et al., 2012). Carvalho et al. (2016) discussed the taxonomic relationships between Gomeza spiloptera (Lindley) M. W. Chase & N. H. Williams and Gomeza sincorana (Campacci & Cath.) M. W. Chase & N. H. Williams and concluded that the latter is an autonomous taxon restricted to Chapada Diamantina. We recognized here 16 orchid species and two genera (Adamantinia and Thelyschista) as being endemic.

When the “classic” concept of Passifloraceae is considered, this family has just one endemic taxon in the Chapada Diamantina, Passiflora mucugeana T. S. Nunes & L. P. Queiroz (Nunes & Queiroz, 2001; 2007). The extended concept of that family adopted in APG IV (2016) based on phylogenetic studies (Chase et al., 2002; Tokuoka, 2012), includes the genera Turnera and Piriqueta (formerly Turneraceae), resulting in 15 species belonging to Passifloraceae being considered endemic in the present study. In the same way, Rayleya bahiensis is now included in Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae, see Whitlock & Hale, 2011), and the genera Barjonia, Hemipogon, Cynanchum, Matelea, and Metastelma are included in Apocynaceae (formerly Asclepiadaceae, see Potgieter & Albert, 2001).

Species lists are important elements for conservation efforts (Forzza et al., 2010; Grill et al., 2002). Hazevoet (1996) pointed out the value of varietal or subspecific statuses of birds for island lists and considered the loss of some genetic pounds may occur when these subspecific taxa are not properly protected. We did not consider any varietal or subspecific statuses in the present study because there is no a pattern to define these status and their significance on plants (Hamilton & Reichard, 1992). Pereira et al. (2007) analyzed the morphological and genetic variability of Comanthera mucugensis (Giul.) Parra & Giul. (= Syngonanthus mucugensis Giul.) in two isolated populations, one in Mucugê in the Serra do Sincorá Range (the eastern group) and the other in Rio de Contas and Catolés near Abaíra (the western group). Those authors concluded that the level of genetic identity between those populations was less than mean values commonly found for conspecific populations, and closer to values recorded for populations of closely related congeneric species – although their morphological differences were restricted only to the simple sizes of the morphological characters analyzed; they therefore proposed a subspecific status to the western population (C. mucugensis ssp. riocontensis A.C.S. Pereira & Giul.). This was a unique study, defining the taxonomic statuses of the infraspecific taxa within an endemic species of the Chapada Diamantina. In spite those considerations, we refer to C. mucugensis here as just a single taxon in this checklist, following CNCFlora (2012), in which C. mucugensis is listed as an endangered species (EN).

Several endemic species are restricted to narrow areas. This aspect is one of possible explanations to the fact that 59.82% of all endemic species are on some degree of threat (97,19% of evaluated species). Obviously, the efforts to evaluate the species are concentrated on those are recognized as endangered. For example, Cattleya elongata Barb. Rodr. (Orchidaceae) is a very common species in the Chapada Diamantina, being one endemic species with no risk of extinction (Van den Berg, 2020), and it was not included on the efforts to elaborate the National and the Bahia lists. Other aspect is existence of specialists on the taxonomic groups where are endemic species. Velloziaceae has eight endemic species in the Chapada Diamantina, but only the two species of Barbacenia were evaluated. All the remainder species, from the genus Vellozia, were not evaluated, and there are no specialists in this genus acting in this region. For other groups, as Fabaceae and Asteraceae, there are some research groups from universities in the Bahia State developed intensive studies on these taxa, and these groups are well represented in the effort to evaluate the threat of extinction. When the National and the Bahia lists are combined, Asteraceae has 56 species evaluated and Fabaceae has 22.

There are no systematizations of the impacts influencing the extinction risks for the endemic species in the Chapada Diamantina. Giulietti et al. (2004) cited the deforestation and the occurrence of fire in the vegetation as one of the most intense impacts for the Caatinga biome, including the Chapada Diamantina. Conceição et al. (2016) cited presence of invasive species has other risk for species in mountain outcrops, also including the area considered in this work. On the other hand, Conceição (2018) showed that Vellozia pyrantha, a fire dependent species, is threatened by the policy of fire suppression adopted in the Chapada Diamantina National Park.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge ICMBIO for financial support for this study, especially in the early versions of the list, Roy R. Funch for the English review, and Felipe Weber Mesquita (in memorian) for his help in the mapping the species distributions.

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