Floristic composition of Isla de las Gaviotas, Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay

By

Guido, Anaclara
Mai, Patricia
Piñeiro, Verónica
Mourelle, Dominique
Souza, Mercedes
Machín, Emanuel
Zaldúa, Natalia
Lenzi, Javier

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013-8-1

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

9

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

763--770

Subjects

Angiosperms , diversity , Exotic species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/9.4.763

 

Abstract

Isla de las Gaviotas is an island located in Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay. The aim of this study is to determine and analyze plant species composition on this island and to identify vegetation zonation patterns. An angiosperm species list was generated using a qualitative sampling technique. We registered a total of 27 species, distributed among 18 families. According to species distribution patterns on the island, we propose four vegetation zones: North, Central, Southeast and West. Exotic species comprised 52% of the total number of species, reflecting a history of disturbance in the area. Nonetheless, this site also has a remarkable number of native species, in particular Heliotropium curassavicum, which is listed among Uruguayan species of conservation concern. Given that the loss of coastal plant species is a current problem, the proportion of native halophyte species recorded (37%) indicated the island’s importance as a relict of Uruguayan coastal vegetation.