Coastal Forest Plant Diversity in Northeastern Brazil

巴西大西洋沿岸的森林被认为是世界生物多样性的“热点”之一；大西洋森林中近一半的植物物种是该地区独有的。在这些沿海森林中，巴西东北部（从巴伊亚州到北大德州）的森林是最具生物多样性和最严重濒危的。然而，该地区植物物种的分布及其与邻近地区物种的关系尚不清楚。这个项目的目标是研究这些东北森林的植被，并证明南部（巴伊亚）和北部（伯南布哥）的森林并不像以前假设的那样截然不同。这将通过在整个区域的目标森林碎片中收集和鉴定植物标本来完成，这将使绘制和预测植物物种的分布成为可能。在巴西东北部发现新物种并阐明森林植物的分布将增强我们对这一独特地区及其植物群历史的理解。此外，有关物种及其分布的数据将提供给适当的政府机构和地方组织，以便明智地作出有关保护优先事项的决定。PI和Co-PI将为美国和巴西的学生提供植物学、生态学和保护方面的培训。

The Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil are considered one of the World's biodiversity "hotspots"; nearly half of the plant species in the Atlantic forests are unique to this region. Within these coastal forests, those in northeastern Brazil (from Bahia to Rio Grande do Norte) are the most biodiverse and the most critically endangered. Nevertheless, the distributions of the plant species in this region and their relationship to species in adjacent regions are not known. The goal of this project is to study the vegetation of these northeastern forests and demonstrate that the forests of the southern portion (Bahia) and those of the northern portion (Pernambuco) are not as distinct as previously hypothesized. This will be accomplished by collecting and identifying plant specimens in targeted forest fragments throughout the region which will make it possible to map and predict the distribution of plant species. Discovering new species and clarifying the distribution of forest plants in northeastern Brazil will enhance our understanding of the history of this unique region and its flora. In addition, data on species and their distributions will be provided to appropriate government bodies and local organizations so that decisions about conservation priorities can be made wisely. The PI and Co-PI will provide training in botany, ecology and conservation to student both in the U.S. and in Brazil.